The 3rd Edition of The Solar Week 2024: Conference & Awards, organized by SolarQuarter, took place on 28th August, 2024 at the Sheraton Riyadh Hotel & Towers. The event featured dynamic panel discussions that brought together some of the most influential developers in Saudi Arabia’s solar energy sector. The event highlighted the Kingdom’s ambitious renewable energy goals and provided a platform for industry leaders to discuss strategies for scaling up solar energy projects and driving innovation.
The first panel, “Leadership Roundtable: Driving Transformation in Utility Solar Sector,” explored critical topics related to the rapid expansion of Saudi Arabia’s solar capacity. The panelists discussed target of reaching 27.3 GW of renewable capacity by 2024, is reshaping the investment landscape. The role of competitive bidding processes led by REPDO and SPPC was emphasized as a key factor in the success of landmark projects such as the Sakaka solar power plant.
Moderated by Mr. Quentin Dominique Blommaert, Head of the Hydrogen Diplomacy Office Riyadh at Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH, the panel featured insights from prominent industry figures, including Mr. Ahmed Al-Shaikh, Director KSA Portfolio at Masdar, and Mr. Adeeb Alameen, Energy Transition Manager at Alfanar Projects. Discussions focused on technical innovations necessary for achieving a projected Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) of over 51% in the Saudi Arabia Solar Energy Market by 2029. Topics such as modernizing the power grid, enhancing solar storage, and the potential of robotic cleaning technologies for solar panels were also explored.
The second panel, “Strategic Forum: Driving Net Zero Innovations in Energy Landscape,” tackled the Kingdom’s long-term commitment to achieving net-zero emissions by 2060, a cornerstone of the Saudi Green Initiative (SGI). The discussion centered on the integration of the Circular Carbon Economy (CCE) framework and other SGI initiatives to transform the energy mix, improve energy efficiency, and develop a robust carbon capture and storage program.
Moderated by Mr. Mustafa AlHakeem, Energy and Power Expert, the panel included contributions from industry leaders such as Mr. Marcus H. Schrauf, CEO Renewables at Fas Energy, and Mr. Abdulrahman M. Abdulaal, Director of Green Hydrogen – KSA at ACWA Power. Key topics included the role of green hydrogen production in meeting global demand, leveraging advanced solar technologies for optimizing large-scale projects, and addressing the challenges associated with green hydrogen production in the region.
These panels at The Solar Week 2024 highlighted Saudi Arabia’s leadership in the global transition to renewable energy and its commitment to achieving its Vision 2030 goals. The discussions underscored the importance of collaboration, innovation, and strategic planning in driving the Kingdom’s renewable energy sector forward.
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