Saudi and German representatives from industry and research started yesterday a two-day workshop in Riyadh to discuss future cooperation on concentrated solar power (CSP) between the Kingdom and Germany.

 

The workshop, which is held under the auspices of the German Embassy, aims to develop future cooperation between research institutions of the two countries. It also aims to develop, industrial cooperation between enterprises of the two countries.

 

More than 100 participants are attending the CSP workshop, including 40 German senior managers and 17 different industrial firms, with the Saudi Arabian Industrial Investment Authority (SAGIA) and the Council of Saudi Chambers (CSC) as main cooperation partners.

 

The CSP technology, the German envoy explained, converts energy from the sun into heat, which in turn is used to generate electricity in steam turbines.

 

These solar power plants work especially in countries with direct sun irradiation - the sun belt of the earth on both sides of the equator up to 35 degrees latitude.

 

The Saudi government has announced an ambitious program to set up solar energy in the Kingdom. Until 2032, Saudi Arabia will develop 41 gigawatts of solar thermal energy, of which 25 gigawatts are meant to be produced with solar thermal technology.

 

It goes without saying that Saudi Arabia will become one of the world's most important markets for solar energy.