World’s largest solar microgrid rises along Saudi’s Red Sea

Featuring a 400MW solar PV system coupled with a 1.3GWh energy storage system, the world’s largest photovoltaic-energy storage microgrid is currently being built in Saudi Arabia’s Red Sea Project.

Global technology giant, Huawei, is spearheading this ambitious venture, which is set to power this key hospitality destination being developed by Red Sea Global.

Built on the coast of southwestern Tabuk Province, west of the Red Sea, the project covers a planned area of 28,000 square kilometers. Upon completion in 2030, the Red Sea City is expected to have 50 hotels with 8,000 rooms, and more than 1,000 residential properties across 22 islands and six inland sites. It will also cater to up to one million visitors per year, and all of these visitors are set to benefit from off-grid, clean energy.

“The destination is poised to be the world’s first fully clean energy-powered destination, and Huawei is honored to participate in this project and help Saudi Arabia build a greener and better future through technological innovation,” Alex Xing, president of Huawei Digital Power, Middle East and Central Asia, told Gulf Business.

The project will utilise Huawei’s FusionSolar Smart String Energy Storage Solution (ESS), a microgrid solution that will allow the Red Sea Project to independently meet its own power needs. The intermittent and fluctuating nature of solar and wind power makes energy storage essential for the safe and stable operation of renewable energy projects. In a bid to achieve this full reliance on renewable energy, Huawei’s ESS solutions will become a crucial component.

“Microgrids are not new to the power industry. However, the Red Sea Microgrid is unique because it uses only renewable sources of energy and it is completely disconnected from any external grid,” said Xing. “As the pioneer in digital technologies, Huawei is one of the few solution providers offering state-of-the-art power electronic technology, forming and stabilising grids via virtual synchronising machines. This in-depth industry knowledge and solid experience enabled Huawei to accept the challenge of delivering such an ambitious project,” Xing added.

Huawei’s involvement in the Red Sea Project aligns with its commitment to sustainability, technological expertise, and collaboration. “The Red Sea Project provides an unparalleled opportunity to demonstrate this commitment and showcase our industry-leading innovation and technology,” said Xing.

“It’s a blueprint for sustainable cities. Through our collaboration with Red Sea Global, Huawei is leading the charge for a greener future, one microgrid at a time.”

Global Developments

Apart from the Red Sea Project, Huawei is working on several major solar power developments worldwide. These projects span utility-scale plants, commercial and industrial (C&I) scenarios, and residential applications. “Huawei’s smart string and grid-forming ESS solution significantly improves a power grid’s ability to integrate renewable energy,” Xing explained. “This can help address challenges arising from having high shares of renewable energy integrated into the grid at utility-scale plants.”

In Dubai, Huawei recently helped establish a 25.8MW Distributed Program for Dubai Global Port Group. In China, the company collaborated with China Resources Power, China Electric Power Research Institute, and the Electric Power Research Institute of State Grid Qinghai Electric Power Company to pilot the world’s first grid-forming battery energy storage system (BESS). Meanwhile, in Thailand, Huawei built Asia-Pacific’s largest single-site C&I PV and ESS plant at Mahidol University, which includes a 12 MW PV system, a 600 kWh ESS, and optimisers configured for all PV modules from Huawei FusionSolar.

These projects highlight Huawei’s global reach and its goal of advancing renewable energy infrastructure. “We have also combined IoT, big data, AI, and other new ICT solutions to improve operations and maintenance by automating the fault diagnosis process for smart power plants,” said Xing.

Growing Focus on Renewables

Huawei is aiming for its renewable energy business to become a key player in the global transition to a low-carbon future. The company already integrates bit, watt, heat, and battery (4T) technologies to develop new energy infrastructure for power systems, electric vehicles (EVs), and the digital industry.

By the end of 2023, Huawei Digital Power had helped customers generate 997.9 billion kWh of green power and save 46.1 billion kWh of electricity, reducing CO2 emissions by 495 million tons. This is equivalent to planting 680 million trees.

Earlier this year, Huawei unveiled the innovative Intelligent Distribution Solution (IDS) at Rotterdam’s 26th World Energy Congress. Developed in collaboration with ecosystem partners, the IDS aims to tackle the electric power industry’s most pressing challenges, including high line loss, unreliable service, and the burden of managing new energy loads.

“Huawei Digital Power continues to use digital technology to help power the world’s green and low-carbon development,” Xing said. “In 2023, we made tremendous progress in areas like smart PVs and liquid-cooled ultra-fast charging. Huawei’s digital power business earned ¥52.6bn ($7.42bn), up 3.5 per cent year-on-year in 2023.”

According to Wood Mackenzie, Huawei was the leading global solar photovoltaic (PV) inverter vendor in the world in 2022 with a 29 percent market share. Huawei’s shipments increased significantly by 83 percent in 2022 compared to 2021, underscoring the company’s growing influence in the renewable energy sector.

“We are entering a new world where digital energy will play a key role,” Xing noted.

“Global nations’ goals to achieve carbon neutrality are driving a profound transformation in society and the economy. Achieving these objectives requires a robust energy infrastructure that powers decarbonisation, electrification, digitalisation, and intelligence,” Xing concluded.