Saudi Arabia to expand grid by 60% by 2030
21 March 2025
State utility Saudi Electricity Company (SEC) aims to expand its power transmission network to approximately 160,000 kilometres (km) by 2030, up 60% over its existing network of about 99,800km.
An increased subscriber base and higher electricity consumption, as well as the integration of renewables, underpin plans to expand the SEC network over the next five years.
"By 2030, SEC aims to expand its transmission network to encompass approximately 160,000km of transmission lines, [and] install nine new high-voltage, direct current lines between regions and neighbouring countries," SEC said in its 2024 earnings report.
"These targets are underscoring our commitment to building a robust and future-ready grid infrastructure."
MEED understands that SEC energised 26 new transmission substations, increasing the kingdom's transmission network to 1,260, a 2.1% increase over 2023.
These new substations increased the cumulative substation capacity to 497,902 megavolt-amperes, a 2% growth over the previous year.
Of the total, SEC installed and energised 10 substations and added 148.5km of transmission lines, integrating 6.6GW of renewables in 2024.
An additional 24 substations and 4,327km of transmission lines are under construction to integrate about 34.4GW of renewable energy capacity into the grid by 2027.
Generation
SEC said generation capacity connected to the grid reached 92.15GW in 2024, up 6.9% over 2023, when installed capacity stood at 86.23GW.
The firm said its directly owned capacity of the total now stands at 56.4GW, representing 61% of the kingdom's total capacity.
Electricity production at SEC's plants surged 7.5% to 236.4 terawatt-hours in 2024.
The firm said that 1,580MW of generation capacity was added or restored to SEC's power plant fleet in 2024, while the liquid-to-gas conversion of the Riyadh power plant 10 (PP10) and phase one is expected to be completed this year.
SEC is working with local contracting company Alfanar, in addition to US-based original equipment manufacturer GE Vernova, to convert the plant's fuel feedstock to natural gas, a lower carbon intensity fuel compared to the crude oil and distillate that currently power the plant.
According to the Energy Institute, Saudi Arabia's total electricity generation in 2023 reached 422.9 terawatt-hours (TWh). Oil accounted for 152.1TWh, or about 36% of the total, while natural gas accounted for 265TWh, or 63%, and renewables made up 5.8TWh or 1%.
"Eight projects with a total capacity of 22.3GW are under transition by 2030," SEC said in its report.
It added: "SEC is currently developing 11 generation projects with an aggregate 23.4GW of capacity. These will be across directly owned capacity projects (10.476 GW), expansion and partnerships (5.324GW) and joint venture projects (7.610GW)."
Battery storage
SEC has been procuring battery energy storage system (bess) plants, with the aim of boosting the reliability and flexibility of the kingdom's electricity grid.
The first 500MW bess project in Bisha has been completed, while work is under way for 22 gigawatt-hours of bess capacity across five projects that are under development.
SEC is also prequalified to bid for the first round of independent bess projects in the kingdom, which is being produced by Saudi Power Procurement Company.
Related reads:
- Saudi power projects hit record high
- Riyadh joins global battery storage race
- Saudi Electricity Company profit falls by 33%
MEED’s April 2025 report on Saudi Arabia includes:
> UPSTREAM: Saudi oil and gas spending to surpass 2024 level
> DOWNSTREAM: Aramco’s recalibrated chemical goals reflect realism
> POWER: Saudi power sector enters busiest year
> WATER: Saudi water contracts set another annual record
> CONSTRUCTION: Reprioritisation underpins Saudi construction
> TRANSPORT: Riyadh pushes ahead with infrastructure development
> BANKING: Saudi banks work to keep pace with credit expansion
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The bid submission deadline is 26 February.
The first scheme under the package is TF-16-C1, which involves upgrading and rehabilitating the stormwater system east of the Dubai Canal.
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Modon tenders Ras El-Hekma construction contracts
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Abu Dhabi-based developer Modon Holding has tendered several contracts as part of the first phase of development at Ras El-Hekma, a planned new city on Egypt’s Mediterranean coast.
MEED understands that the tenders were issued in January.
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DP3 assets: covering 146 residential villas, 590 three-bedroom townhouses, 356 four-bedroom townhouses, a mall and other associated works.
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Commercial International Bank Egypt (CIB) has provided €58m in credit facilities to local firm Elsewedy Electric for the construction of a combined-cycle gas turbine (CCGT) power plant in Hungary.
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AD Ports Group will also invest AED141m ($38.4m) in the joint venture.
The signing ceremony was held at the Aqaba Special Economic Zone Authority headquarters in Aqaba on 5 February.
The agreement was signed by Hussein Safadi, CEO of ADC, and Ahmed Al-Mutawa, regional CEO of AD Ports Group.
Aqaba port handles about 80% of Jordan’s exports and 65% of its imports.
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In 2025, the terminal handled over 5.3 million tonnes of cargo and nearly 85,000 car equivalent units of Ro-Ro imports.
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The Al-Madouneh customs centre covers about 1.3 million square metres (sq m) and was inaugurated in June last year.
The announcement followed AD Ports Group’s signing of a shareholders’ agreement in January 2024 between its digital arm, Maqta Gateway, and Jordan’s Aqaba Development Corporation regarding their existing joint-venture company, Maqta Ayla.
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Distributed to senior decision-makers in the region and around the world, the February 2026 edition of MEED Business Review includes:
> AGENDA: Mena upstream spending set to soar> INDUSTRY REPORT: MEED's GCC water developer ranking> INDUSTRY REPORT: Pipeline boom lifts Mena water awards> MARKET FOCUS: Qatar’s strategy falls into place> CURRENT AFFAIRS: Iran protests elevate regional uncertainty> CONTRACT AWARDS: Contract awards decline in 2025> LEADERSHIP: Tomorrow’s communities must heal us, not just house us> INTERVIEW: AtkinsRealis on building faster> LEADERSHIP: Energy security starts with rethinking wasteTo see previous issues of MEED Business Review, please click herehttps://image.digitalinsightresearch.in/uploads/NewsArticle/15592973/main.jpg -
Chinese firm wins Ceer automotive supplier park deal
6 February 2026
Beijing-headquartered Metallurgical Construction Corporation (MCC) has won a contract to undertake the steel structure works on the Ceer automotive supplier park in King Abdullah Economic City (KAEC).
The supplier park is located next to Ceer’s electric vehicle (EV) production facility in KAEC.
The automotive supplier park will include production and ancillary facilities for various suppliers and provide the material supply infrastructure for Ceer’s EV plant.
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Distributed to senior decision-makers in the region and around the world, the February 2026 edition of MEED Business Review includes:
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