Aramco To Generate 12 GW Wind And Solar Power By 2035

Saudi oil conglomerate Aramco has announced that it will be aiming for 12 GW of solar and wind capacity by 2035. Aramco also wants to generate 11 million tonnes of blue ammonia by the end of this decade that will employ 1.93 million tonnes of blue hydrogen. Blue hydrogen is hydrogen made from oil but where the carbon released is captured and stored.

The company has revealed that the total renewable energy generation will reduce the carbon emissions of about 14 million tonnes every year. Aramco will also cut an additional 11 million tonnes of emission through carbon capture and carbon storage technologies.

The exact detail of the renewable expansion plan is yet to be shared by Aramco. The company is helping the development of large renewables projects; the 1.5GW Sudair Solar Power Project is one of them.

Amin H Nasser, Chief Executive Officer, Aramco, said, “Our ambition is to achieve operational net-zero by 2050 and our sustainability report highlights how we aim to continue meeting the world’s rising demand for secure, reliable and affordable energy, while also contributing to the broader energy transition.”

The Aramco CEO added, “We are investing for the long-term, against a backdrop of global energy and economic uncertainty, and we will continue to integrate breakthrough technologies in our operations over the next decade and beyond.”

Blue hydrogen is not a zero-carbon option but has very low-carbon generation in the production of the resource. It’s a part of long term solution processes that would lead the world to net zero targets. It’s produced from fossil gas and the resulting carbon is usually captured and stored.

Aramco had shipped blue ammonia to Japan in the past. Aramco is targeting Europe for exports in the near future.

Saudi Arabia is also developing a Neom mega development project that will also host a $5 billion project that will be the largest green hydrogen facility in the world. Upon completion it will be producing 4.3 GW green hydrogen and ship 1.2 million tonnes of green ammonia by 2026.