KACARE steps up renewable energy drive

RIYADH: King Abdullah City for Atomic and Renewable Energy (KACARE) stepped up its efforts and work in collaboration with a number of local and international organizations and institutions to speed up work on the renewable energy program.
Vision 2032 aims to replace 50 percent of Kingdom’s dependence on traditional fossil fuels with ecofriendly atomic and renewable energy.
“We are working closely with a number of local and international organizations and have completed development of specifications for photoelectric solar plates, which is one of the key initiatives to develop a sustainable renewable energy sector in the Kingdom,” a KACARE spokesman said on Thursday.
For more than a decade, the KACARE working group conducted research on the Kingdom’s climatic conditions, analyzed data in connection with solar energy resources, and further utilized the outcome of indoor and outdoor laboratory tests to simulate conditions.
A number of solar panels were installed at several sites.
Moreover, KACARE is working closely with the Ministry of Transportation, Saudi Electricity Co. (SEC), Saudi Wildlife Authority (SWA) and the Directorate General of Military Survey to speed up work on an atlas of renewable energy as the project is a treasure of vital information and data related to energy within the Kingdom.
It is one of the landmark programs implemented by KACARE with the help of experts to attract local and foreign investments in the field of renewable energy by harnessing the potentials that abound in the Kingdom in the field of solar, thermal and wind energy.
“This policy constitutes an integral part of KACARE’s philosophy which underpins that it is imperative to foster mutually beneficial cooperation with other government agencies and strengthen relationships with clear-cut intention and determination to make the utmost of experiences and expertise,” said the spokesman.
KACARE and Hail University are working to promote sustainable energy research programs in the Kingdom to reduce dependence on traditional fossil fuels by producing atomic and renewable energy.
The spokesman said that KACARE Vice President Waleed Husain Abu Alfaraj recently signed a memorandum of understanding with Khalil Al-Ibrahim, rector of Hail University, at KACARE headquarters to conduct research studies and devise solutions for sustainable energy.
He said that the memorandum aims to enhance mutual cooperation including development of an academic syllabus with a view to making it more compatible with sustainable energy prerequisites so as to develop sustainable energy technologies and applications in the Kingdom.
The pact also has a provision to provide Hail University with cost-effective technical assistance enabling it to set up the sustainable energy research center and renewable energy producing stations.