World’s largest solar microgrid to power Saudi Arabia’ Red Sea Project

Covering a vast area of 28,000 square kilometers, this project is poised to redefine the future of clean energy and sustainable tourism.

In an interaction with Gulf Business, Alex Xing, President of Huawei Digital Power for the Middle East and Central Asia, highlighted the significance of this project, stating, “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.”

A bold vision for sustainable tourism

The Red Sea Project is set to transform the region into a beacon of sustainable tourism. With plans to complete by 2030, the project envisions the creation of Red Sea City, featuring 50 hotels with 8,000 rooms and more than 1,000 residential properties across 22 islands and six inland sites. The city is expected to cater to up to one million visitors per year, all benefiting from off-grid, clean energy.

Central to this vision is Huawei’s FusionSolar Smart String Energy Storage Solution (ESS). This solution will enable the Red Sea Project to independently meet its power needs. The microgrid solution addresses the intermittent and fluctuating nature of solar and wind power. It ensures the safe and stable operation of renewable energy systems.

“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 stabilizing grids via virtual synchronizing machines. This in-depth industry knowledge and solid experience enabled Huawei to accept the challenge of delivering such an ambitious project.”

Huawei’s involvement in the Red Sea Project underscores 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.”

Expanding global impact

Beyond the Red Sea Project, Huawei is driving several major solar power developments worldwide, reinforcing its position as a leader in the renewable energy sector. These initiatives span utility-scale plants, commercial and industrial (C&I) scenarios, and residential applications.

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, including a 12 MW PV system and a 600 kWh ESS.

“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.”

These projects underscore Huawei’s global reach and its dedication to 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.

Leading the charge for a low-carbon future

Huawei’s renewable energy business is rapidly emerging as a key player in the global transition to a low-carbon future. By integrating bit, watt, heat, and battery (4T) technologies, Huawei is developing 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 reduction 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.”

Huawei’s dominance in the renewable energy sector is further evidenced by its position as the leading global solar photovoltaic (PV) inverter vendor in 2022, with a 29 percent market share, according to Wood Mackenzie. The company’s shipments surged by 83 percent in 2022 compared to the previous year, underscoring its growing influence in the renewable energy market.

As the world increasingly turns toward digital energy, Huawei is positioning itself at the forefront of this transformation. “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 decarbonization, electrification, digitalization, and intelligence,” concluded Xing.