meed-logo

line1 line2 line3
SIGN IN / REGISTER

GCC battery storage pipeline hits over 55GWh

28 February 2025

Analysis
Jennifer Aguinaldo
Energy & technology editor

 

The battery energy storage system (bess) plant project pipeline in the GCC region – mainly in Saudi Arabia and the UAE – has reached 55.4 gigawatt-hours (GWh) of estimated rated capacity.

Data from MEED and regional projects tracker MEED Projects indicates that schemes with a total capacity of about 21.7GWh are under construction, primarily in Saudi Arabia, while bess plants in the pre-execution phase have an estimated cumulative rated capacity of 33.8GWh.

This substantial pipeline has been built over the past two to three years, when a total of 3.9GWh of capacity was built in Saudi Arabia through the 1.3GWh Red Sea multi-utility project and the recently completed 2.6GWh battery energy storage plant by Saudi Arabia's National Grid.

"The main energy storage driver across the GCC region is the rapid deployment of low-cost solar power to meet growing demand," notes Marek Kubik, a Saudi Arabia-based industry expert. 

"As photovoltaic (PV) produces power only in the day and is a non-synchronous form of power, this brings with it certain balancing, ramping and stability challenges. 

"Bess is needed for storing and shifting solar power from day to night, to reduce congestion and improve utilisation on the transmission system, as well as providing stability services to support stable grid operations," says Kubik.

Capacity ramp-up

With an estimated 775MW/3.9GWh of deployed capacity at the end of 2024, the GCC region accounts for a small proportion of the global deployment of about 160GW or 363GWh, according to the Volta Foundation.

The global not-for-profit group said global bess installations last year accounted for more than 45% of the total cumulative global capacity.

The region is poised to catch up with the rest of the world, however. Saudi Arabia's Bisha bess plant is one of 17 projects globally with a capacity of over 1GWh that entered operations in 2024.

A total of 21.7GWh of capacity is under construction in Saudi Arabia and is expected to be completed by the end of the year, with more under way.

Such growth will likely overtake the 55% year-on-year growth observed by the Volta Foundation.

The GCC region’s first major bess independent power producer (IPP) scheme was integrated into Red Sea Global’s multi-utility package in Saudi Arabia.

Developed by Saudi utility developer Acwa Power and built by China’s Huawei Digital, the 1,300 megawatt-hour (MWh) facility caters to the 28,000 square-kilometre “regenerative” tourism project on the west coast of the kingdom, which is being powered 100% by clean energy.

A bess facility with a capacity of 760MWh is also included in a similar multi-utility package for Red Sea Global’s sister development, Amaala.

The 2.6GWh Bisha represents an important milestone, ushering the kingdom onto the list of the world's top locations for lithium iron phosphate (LFP)-based bess.

So far, every utility or grid operator in the GCC, Morocco and Jordan plans to procure or has started to procure bess capacity independently, to balance their grid as electricity demand and renewable energy capacity increase, or as part of a solar power plant scheme.

In the absence of viable hydropower capacity, which is the main energy storage capacity in non-water-scarce regions, or thermal energy storage systems like molten salt, bess is emerging as the best alternative to enhance the flexibility of existing energy or electricity systems as sources increasingly diversify.

Abu Dhabi state utility Emirates Water & Electricity Company (Ewec) received 93 expressions of interest and prequalified more than two dozen companies to bid individually or as members of consortiums for its first pair of bess plants, which will have a capacity of up to 800MWh.

In January, Ewec and Abu Dhabi Future Energy Company (Masdar) announced a project that aims to convert solar power into base load capacity by coupling a 5GW solar PV plant with a 19GWh battery energy storage facility in Abu Dhabi.

Falling lithium prices and oversupply 

The need for grid flexibility and a steep fall in the price of lithium – the main raw material for the dominant battery technology – has helped utilities to move forward with their plans to procure bess, which was considered cost-prohibitive until a year ago.

According to a BloombergNEF (BNEF) report in December, lithium-ion battery pack prices dropped 20% from 2023, to a record-low of $115 a kilowatt-hour.

Factors driving the decline include cell manufacturing overcapacity, economies of scale, low metal and component prices, the adoption of lower-cost LFP batteries and a slowdown in electric vehicle (EV) sales growth.

In the past two years, battery manufacturers have expanded production capacity in anticipation of surging demand for batteries in the EV and stationary storage sectors.

According to BNEF, overcapacity is rife, with 3.1 terawatt-hours of fully commissioned battery-cell manufacturing capacity globally, which is more than 2.5 times the annual demand for lithium-ion batteries in 2024.

It added that while demand in all sectors saw year-on-year growth, the EV market – the biggest demand driver for batteries – grew more slowly than in recent years.

In contrast, stationary storage markets have taken off, with strong competition in cell and system providers, especially in China.

Completed and under-construction bess plants in the GCC are all supplied by Chinese battery cell and system providers. BYD and Sungow account for 59% and 36% of completed and under-construction battery energy storage plants in Saudi Arabia, respectively, while Huawei accounts for the rest.

Contemporary Amperex Technology Company (CATL) will be supplying the battery cell and systems for Abu Dhabi's round-the-clock 1GW solar project.

Prices are expected to fall further, which will likely accelerate GCC deployments.

Some experts predict the prices could drop to as low as $50/kWh-$25/kWh and, at best, to as low as $10/kWh by the end of the decade, subject to extrapolating current battery learning rates of about 25% for every doubling of capacity. 

Longer-duration battery cells

Despite their expected widespread deployment, there are concerns that batteries providing up to six hours of storage may not be sufficient to address the peak electricity demand in most GCC states.

Demand in the GCC states peaks between 6pm and 6am, when air-conditioning systems, street lighting and other home appliances are turned on, and where there is little wind capacity to supply renewable power.  

Nevertheless, a staged approach to bess deployment is necessary to get to a fully net-renewable electricity system, says Kubik.

"Around the world, this is approached in a staged manner and bess of increasing duration is added over time, as the depth of renewable penetration increases," he says.

"The GCC has, to an extent, leapfrogged other markets by starting with four-hour to six-hour bess, but over time this need will grow to about eight- to 10-hours, which is enough to move to more or less a ‘baseload’ around-the-clock solar profile. As LFP costs continue to fall, longer-duration systems are rapidly becoming more economic." 

READ MEED’s YEARBOOK 2025

MEED’s 16th highly prized flagship Yearbook publication is available to read, offering subscribers analysis on the outlook for the Mena region’s major markets.

Published on 31 December 2024 and distributed to senior decision-makers in the region and around the world, the MEED Yearbook 2025 includes:

> GIGAPROJECTS INDEX: Gigaproject spending finds a level
https://image.digitalinsightresearch.in/uploads/NewsArticle/13438887/main5753.jpg
Jennifer Aguinaldo

Register for MEED's guest program now to access this article.

Click here to register
Exclusive from Meed
Related Articles
  • Consultant wins Jeddah metro design

    22 May 2026

     

    French engineering firm Egis has been appointed to undertake the preliminary design consultancy for the Jeddah Metro Blue Line project.

    The project client, Jeddah Development Authority, issued the tender in early January, when MEED exclusively reported that Saudi Arabia had restarted plans to build the Jeddah Metro.

    Engineering consulting firms submitted bids in April, as MEED reported.

    The Blue Line will run from King Abdulaziz International airport and connect to the Haramain high-speed railway station.

    The line will be 35 kilometres (km) long and will include 15 stations.

    Project history

    Plans for the Jeddah Metro were first publicly floated in the early 2010s and were formally packaged into a wider Jeddah public transport programme around 2013-14.

    In 2014, French engineering firm Systra was appointed to complete preliminary engineering for the Jeddah Metro, as MEED reported at the time.

    In the same year, US-based engineering firm Aecom was awarded a SR276m ($74m) contract to provide pre-programme management consultancy services.

    Under its 18-month contract, Aecom was expected to provide staff to support preliminary planning and design work for various phases of the metro project.

    This was followed by the appointment of UK-based architectural firm Foster + Partners in 2015 to design the metro stations.

    The project then stalled as government spending priorities were reset and major capital programmes were reviewed following the fall in oil prices in 2015, with the metro’s scope, cost and delivery model coming under reassessment.

    Early concept designs envisaged a multi-line network integrated with buses and, later, other city-wide mobility upgrades.

    Route details

    According to Jeddah Transport Company’s website, the scheme comprises 81 stations and 197 trains serving more than 161km. The network will have four lines:

    • Orange Line: a 44.8km line running along Al-Madinah Road and Old Makkah Road, with 29 stops including one at Obhur Bridge
    • Blue Line: a 35km line running from King Abdulaziz International airport to the Haramain high-speed railway station, with 15 stations
    • Green Line: a 17km line running through the city centre, from the downtown area to the Haramain railway station, with nine stops
    • Red Line: A 59.7km line running from King Abdullah Stadium north to Old Makkah Street through King Abdulaziz Road and King Abdullah Road, with 25 stops

    > Be recognised among the best in the industry at the MEED Projects Awards 2026 …

    https://image.digitalinsightresearch.in/uploads/NewsArticle/16949416/main.jpg
    Yasir Iqbal
  • Egypt signs gas deal with QatarEnergy and Exxon Mobil

    22 May 2026

    Egypt’s Ministry of Petroleum & Mineral Resources has signed a preliminary gas agreement with state-owned QatarEnergy and US-based Exxon Mobil.

    The memorandum of understanding (MoU) focuses on cooperation in the development of natural gas discoveries in Cyprus.

    The plan involves transporting gas from offshore discoveries in Cypriot waters to Egypt via pipelines.

    In a statement, Egypt’s Ministry of Petroleum & Mineral Resources said that the deal would strengthen the North African country’s status as a regional hub for natural gas trading.

    The agreement was witnessed by Egypt’s Prime Minister Mustafa Madbouli.

    It was signed by Muhammad Al-Bajouri, from the legal affairs department of the Ministry of Petroleum & Minerals, and Kanan Nariman, vice-president for the development of liquefied natural gas (LNG) at Exxon Mobil.

    It was also signed by Ali Immunae, director of international exploration and production at QatarEnergy.

    Commenting on the MoU signing, Saad Sherida Al-Kaabi, the minister of state for energy affairs, and president and chief executive of QatarEnergy, said: “This MoU represents an important step in advancing regional energy cooperation across the Eastern Mediterranean through unlocking the long-term commercial potential of natural gas resources across that region.”

    Egypt’s Ministry of Petroleum & Mineral Resources said the agreement paved the way for QatarEnergy and Exxon to take advantage of existing Egyptian infrastructure in the gas sector, especially the country’s existing LNG export terminals.

    Under the terms of the agreement, a study will be conducted to analyse the feasibility of linking the gas discoveries in Cyprus to Egypt’s gas facilities.

    The signatories will also establish a commercial framework aimed at achieving “the maximum possible benefit from natural gas resources in both Egypt and Cyprus”.

    Egypt’s Minister of Oil and Gas Karim Badawi said the ministry has been working with ExxonMobil to explore cooperation on the development of gas discoveries in Cyprus.

    He said the partnership with Egypt would help QatarEnergy and Exxon reduce the cost of developing the discoveries while allowing Egypt to achieve an economic return.

    READ THE MAY 2026 MEED BUSINESS REVIEW – click here to view PDF

    Global energy sector forced to recalibrate; Conflict hits debt issuance and listings activity; UAE’s non-oil sector faces unclear recovery period amid disruption.

    Distributed to senior decision-makers in the region and around the world, the May 2026 edition of MEED Business Review includes:
    To see previous issues of MEED Business Review, please click here
    https://image.digitalinsightresearch.in/uploads/NewsArticle/16944918/main.jpg
    Wil Crisp
  • Kuwait’s Heisco working on active projects worth $3.5bn

    22 May 2026

     

    Kuwait’s Heavy Engineering Industries & Shipbuilding Company (Heisco) is in a strong position to weather challenges in the country’s project market, with active projects worth $3.5bn, according to documents seen by MEED.

    The company also has active maintenance and service contracts that are worth $843m.

    Heisco’s projects span the oil, gas, power, water, construction, transport and industrial sectors.

    The company’s biggest active project contract is the $576m project to upgrade Kuwait’s Doha West power station.

    This contract was awarded to Heisco by Kuwait’s Ministry of Electricity, Water & Renewable Energy (MEW) in July 2024.

    The company’s second-biggest active project is focused on the construction of crude oil pipelines and associated works in North Kuwait.

    This $565m contract was awarded to Heisco by Kuwait’s state-owned upstream operator Kuwait Oil Company (KOC) in February this year.

    Other major project contracts include a $442m MEW contract for the rehabilitation of the Az-Zour South power and water distillation station and a $223m KOC contract for the construction of flowlines and associated works in the West Kuwait Area.

    Heisco’s biggest active maintenance contract is worth $295m and is focused on providing mechanical maintenance services at Kuwait’s Mina Abdullah Refinery.

    This contract was awarded by the state-owned downstream operator Kuwait National Petroleum Company (KNPC) in July 2023 and it officially started in September that year.

    The contract is currently due to conclude in November 2028.

    Heisco’s second-biggest active maintenance contract is worth $95m and was awarded by Wafra Joint Operations (WJO) for work in the Divided Zone, which is shared by Kuwait and Saudi Arabia.

    WJO’s onshore operations cover an area of about 5,000 square kilometres in the Divided Zone.

    Saudi Arabian Chevron and Kuwait Gulf Oil Company are equal shareholders in WJO.

    Six major fields have been discovered in the WJO area to date: Wafra, South Fuwaris, South Umm-Gudair, Humma, Arq and North Wafra.

    Heisco’s Wafra maintenance contract was awarded in October last year and officially started in November the same year.

    The contract is expected to conclude in May 2031 and its scope is focused on the maintenance of tanks and vessels as well as the provision of welding services.

    Market headwinds

    Kuwait’s oil and gas sector has been severely impacted by the blockade of the Strait of Hormuz, through which all of its crude exports are normally shipped.

    The country recorded zero crude oil exports in April for the first time since the end of the Gulf War in 1991, according to shipping monitor TankerTrackers.com.

    While the closure of the Strait of Hormuz is expected to have a significant impact on Kuwait’s project sector for some time, Heisco’s strong project pipeline is likely to help it weather the challenging economic environment.

    READ THE MAY 2026 MEED BUSINESS REVIEW – click here to view PDF

    Global energy sector forced to recalibrate; Conflict hits debt issuance and listings activity; UAE’s non-oil sector faces unclear recovery period amid disruption.

    Distributed to senior decision-makers in the region and around the world, the May 2026 edition of MEED Business Review includes:
    To see previous issues of MEED Business Review, please click here
    https://image.digitalinsightresearch.in/uploads/NewsArticle/16792105/main.png
    Wil Crisp
  • Eni makes oil and gas discovery in Egypt

    22 May 2026

    A joint venture of Italy’s Eni and state-owned Egyptian General Petroleum Corporation (EGPC) has made a major oil and gas discovery in Egypt’s Western Desert region.

    The partnership, known as Agiba Petroleum Company, made the discovery with an exploratory well drilled in the Bustan South block.

    Initial estimates indicate the presence of approximately 330 billion cubic feet of gas and 10 million barrels of condensate and crude oil.

    Together, this is a total of 70 million barrels of oil equivalent (boe), making the discovery Agiba Petroleum Company’s biggest in 15 years.

    The new discovery is located only 10 kilometres from existing facilities and infrastructure, which should enable rapid development and connection to production.

    The well revealed several sandstone and limestone reservoirs, according to a statement from Egypt’s Ministry of Petroleum & Mineral Resources.

    The ministry said: “This new discovery reflects the success of the Ministry of Petroleum & Mineral Resources’ efforts and the incentives it offered to partners to intensify exploration activities in areas adjacent to existing fields.

    “This facilitates new discoveries near existing infrastructure and production facilities without the need for new infrastructure development.

    “This contributes to reducing the cost of producing a barrel, accelerating the integration of discoveries into the production map, and encouraging partners to implement the latest data collection and analysis technologies to increase the chances of successful exploration.”

    Egypt is seeing increased interest in its oil and gas resources due to disruptions to shipping through the Strait of Hormuz, which have significantly reduced oil and gas exports from the GCC and Iraq.

    READ THE MAY 2026 MEED BUSINESS REVIEW – click here to view PDF

    Global energy sector forced to recalibrate; Conflict hits debt issuance and listings activity; UAE’s non-oil sector faces unclear recovery period amid disruption.

    Distributed to senior decision-makers in the region and around the world, the May 2026 edition of MEED Business Review includes:
    To see previous issues of MEED Business Review, please click here
    https://image.digitalinsightresearch.in/uploads/NewsArticle/16944815/main.jpg
    Wil Crisp
  • King Salman airport selects three contractors for apron ECI

    21 May 2026

     

    Saudi Arabia’s King Salman International Airport Development Company (KSIADC) has selected three groups to deliver the Terminal 6 apron, taxiways and other airfield infrastructure at King Salman International airport (KSIA) in Riyadh.

    KSIADC, which is backed by Saudi sovereign wealth vehicle the Public Investment Fund, will initially deliver the project on an early contractor involvement (ECI) basis.

    The selected groups are:

    • Nesma & Partners / Limak / Samsung C&T / Alayuni Investment & Contracting (local/Turkiye/South Korea/local)
    • Shibh Al-Jazira Contracting Company / Top International Engineering Corporation (local/China)
    • Al-Rashid Trading & Contracting Company / IC Ictas (local/Turkiye)

    The ECI process requires selected contractors to submit methodologies for the project and a design proposal. One team will then be selected for the construction.

    MEED understands that the total package could be worth upto $800m.

    In March, MEED exclusively reported that KSIADC had selected three groups for the construction of Terminal 6 at KSIA in Riyadh.

    In November last year, MEED exclusively reported that KSIADC was targeting mid-2026 to award the contract for the construction of Terminal 6.

    MEED reported in May 2025 that US firm Bechtel Corporation had been appointed as the delivery partner for the terminals at KSIA.

    According to local media reports, KSIADC’s acting CEO, Marco Mejia, said the project developer had completed the project’s masterplan.

    The reports added that Terminal 6 will boost the airport’s capacity by 40 million passengers.

    The project is expected to be delivered before the start of Expo 2030 Riyadh.

    MEED’s April 2026 report on Saudi Arabia includes:

    > COMMENT: Risk accelerates Saudi spending shift
    > GVT &: ECONOMY: Riyadh navigates a changed landscape
    > BANKING: Testing times for Saudi banks
    > UPSTREAM: Offshore oil and gas projects to dominate Aramco capex in 2026
    > DOWNSTREAM: Saudi downstream projects market enters lean period
    > POWER: Wind power gathers pace in Saudi Arabia
    > WATER: Sharakat plan signals next phase of Saudi water expansion
    > CONSTRUCTION: Saudi construction enters a period of strategic readjustment
    > TRANSPORT: Rail expansion powers Saudi Arabia’s infrastructure push

    To see previous issues of MEED Business Review, please click here
    https://image.digitalinsightresearch.in/uploads/NewsArticle/16937556/main.jpg
    Yasir Iqbal