ACWA Power begins commercial operations at 3 solar plants in Saudi Arabia

22/08/2025 02:26 AST

Saudi utility giant ACWA Power has commenced commercial operations at three solar power plants in Saudi Arabia, with a combined capacity of 2.79 gigawatts, the company said in statements to Tadawul.

ACWA Power said it received an initial commercial operation certificate for the Al Kahfah solar Independent Power Plant project in the Hail region, which has a capacity of 1,425 megawatts.

The company added that it also received the commercial operations certificate for 1,000 MW at the Al-Rass 2 solar PV plant in Qassim.

ACWA Power also obtained the second commercial operation certificate for the remaining 365.7 MW capacity in the SAAD 2 PV project in Riyadh, bringing its total operating capacity to 1,125 MW.

These developments align with Saudi Arabia's goals to generate clean energy, primarily using solar power.

The Kingdom plans to generate 58.7 GW of renewable energy by 2030, with 40 GW from solar PV. It also plans to generate 16 GW from wind energy and 2.7 GW from concentrated solar power.

This commitment is part of the broader National Renewable Energy Program strategy, aimed at diversifying Saudi Arabia's energy portfolio and reducing reliance on fossil fuels.

ACWA Power said the impact of these projects is expected to be reflected in the company's financial performance in the second half of this year.

The firm owns a 50.1 percent stake in the Al-Kahfah, Ar Rass 2, and SAAD 2 solar projects.

In July, a consortium led by ACWA Power signed agreements worth SR31 billion ($8.3 billion) to develop seven major solar and wind energy projects with a combined capacity of 15,000 MW in the Kingdom.

Five of the new projects are photovoltaic solar initiatives, including the Bisha Project in the Asir region and the Humaij Project in Madinah, each with a capacity of 3,000 MW.

The Khulis Project in Makkah will generate 2,000 MW, while the Afif 1 and Afif 2 projects located in the Riyadh region will add another 4,000 MW combined.

In addition, two wind energy projects will be developed in Riyadh, which include the 2000 MW Starah Project and the 1,000 MW Shaqra Project.

Arab News