Red Sea Global (RSG) has signed a 25-year concession agreement with French utility EDF and UAE green energy supplier Masdar on a solar-powered water treatment system for the 3,800-sq-km Amaala luxury tourist project in northwest Saudi Arabia.
The two companies will finance, design, build, and operate a solar farm, complete with battery storage system, desalination plant and a wastewater treatment facility.
John Pagano, RSG’s chief executive, said the deal would help the resort be zero-carbon when fully operational.
His company has the same objective for another huge resort, The Red Sea, where five new solar farms will allow it to operate with no connection to the national grid.
At Amaala the solar farm will be able to generate up to 410,000MWh a year, enough to power 10,000 households. The battery system will be able to store 700MWh to ensure continuity of supply. The desalination plant will produce 37 million litres a day.
Béatrice Buffon, vice-president of EDF’s International Division, said: “With more than 90% of its electricity production decarbonised, the EDF group is pursuing its ambition to contribute to reach carbon neutrality by 2050.”
Masdar chief executive Said Mohamed Jameel Al Ramahi said the bundling of functions was “unique”.
RSG is a subsidiary of the Public Investment Fund of Saudi Arabia.
The project consists of three main developments: the Coastal Development, Amaala Island and Triple Bay. The initial phase will focus on the Triple Bay area. This is scheduled to welcome its first guests in early 2025.
Upon full completion, the destination will have around 3,900 hotel rooms distributed across 29 hotels, along with 1,200 villas, apartments and estate homes.
