Several new initiatives and milestones were announced during the event. (Image source: GE Vernova)

Under the patronage of the Ministry of Energy, GE Vernova hosted the exclusive ‘New Era of Energy’ forum at the King Abdullah Petroleum Studies and Research Center (KAPSARC) in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

The event brought together Scott Strazik, CEO of GE Vernova, and over 200 distinguished senior leaders from the public, private, and non-profit sectors across the energy ecosystem. Participants exchanged ideas, shared solutions, and presented best practices to further strengthen Saudi Arabia’s energy ecosystem in support of Saudi Vision 2030.

In addition to the forum, GE Vernova held its annual Global Supplier Partnership Summit, attended by more than 300 supplier organisations. The summit aimed to deepen the energy sector’s supply chain, drive national industrialisation and economic diversification goals, and foster foreign investments to create greater shared value in the power sector.

Key developments

Several new initiatives and milestones were announced during the event. GE Vernova revealed plans to invest in manufacturing grid solutions in the Kingdom, aligning with a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) signed with National Grid in November 2024. The investment will expand the GE Saudi Advanced Turbines (GESAT) facility in Dammam, enabling the local production of high-voltage gas-insulated switchgears. This will establish the first GE Vernova facility of its kind in the Middle East, supporting Saudi Vision 2030 by delivering essential, long-lead equipment for modernising the country’s electrical infrastructure. The investment also underscores GE Vernova’s commitment to enhancing local industrial capabilities and creating employment opportunities for Saudi nationals.

GE Vernova also announced plans to expand production capacity at its GE Manufacturing Technology Center (GEMTEC) in Dammam. This expansion will advance grid automation products, services, and solutions in Saudi Arabia, accelerating grid digitalisation and modernisation to support a more efficient, reliable, and sustainable power network.

A significant achievement highlighted at the event was the completion of the first heavy-duty gas turbine outage entirely led by Saudi nationals. Saudi Electricity Company (SEC) and GE Vernova successfully executed the outage at the 8th Power Plant in Riyadh, a strategic facility critical to meeting the Kingdom’s growing electricity demands. This milestone reflects both companies’ commitment to fostering local talent within Saudi Arabia’s energy sector.

“With a clear roadmap for Vision 2030 and beyond, Saudi Arabia is well placed to lead a new era of energy, and GE Vernova is honoured to play a significant role in these efforts,” said Strazik. “We are applying technologies, skills, and knowledge from around the world to the Kingdom – including in our work at the GE Manufacturing and Technology Center campus and the Khobar Integration Facility. GE Vernova is proud to continue our near century of contributions to the Kingdom’s power sector, and today’s announcements underscore our commitment to investing and expanding our work in this important region.”

Attendees included ADNOC, TAQA and others. (Image source: DoE)

The Department of Energy (DoE) hosted the Abu Dhabi Energy and Water Forum, gathering senior officials and representatives from leading government and private sector organisations in Abu Dhabi.

Attendees included ADNOC, TAQA, Masdar, EWEC, Tabreed, FANR, DMT, DoF, EAD, and ADAFSA, showcasing a united effort to tackle energy and water challenges in the region.

H.E. Dr. Abdulla Humaid Al Jarwan, DoE chairman, stated, "This forum serves as a crucial new platform organised by the Department to support communication and cooperation among key stakeholders in the sector, aligning with our endeavors to realise the objectives of the Abu Dhabi Energy and Water Strategy 2050.

This is accomplished by promoting constructive dialogue and coordination between public and private entities to develop innovative and sustainable solutions that ensure supply security, achieve sustainable growth, and build the infrastructure required to bolster Abu Dhabi's local economy."

Our collective undertaking, of paramount strategic importance, centres on tackling energy challenges, including securing supply, providing affordable energy, and enabling sustainable growth."

Abu Dhabi's clean energy goals

Additionally, Al Jarwan highlighted the major transformations taking place in Abu Dhabi’s energy sector, particularly the shift towards renewable energy, which now makes up 45% of the Emirate’s energy mix. This transition has significantly enhanced Abu Dhabi’s global position in clean energy adoption. He also underscored the remarkable progress in the water desalination sector, with reverse osmosis technology playing a pivotal role. By 2030, this technology is expected to provide around 80% of Abu Dhabi’s water supply while reducing carbon emissions by 60%.

His Excellency noted that electricity and water demand is projected to double in the coming years. Recognising this growth early, Abu Dhabi has ensured its readiness through integrated capabilities, a skilled workforce, and diverse resources. This preparedness allows the Emirate to proactively meet rising demands by fostering innovation, improving operational efficiency, delivering smart solutions for sustainable supply, offering affordable energy, and launching targeted projects and initiatives.

He stressed the importance of collaboration among stakeholders to develop innovative technological solutions, drive digital transformation in the sector, and implement policies that support sustainable progress. His Excellency reaffirmed that the Abu Dhabi Department of Energy will continue to lead this transition by modernising policies and regulating the energy and water sector in line with future needs.

Dr Fatih Birol highlighted the growth of electrification at IE Week. (Image source: Alain Charles Publishing)

Giving a keynote address on 25 February at International Energy Week in London, hosted by the Energy Institute, Dr Fatih Birol, executive director of the International Energy Agency (IEA) highlighted the soaring growth in electricity demand and its implications

“We are entering an important new chapter in the history of energy, where electricity is going to be even more important,” he said. “When we look at the numbers, we see the age of electricity is coming.”

Dr Birol pointed out that in the last 10 years global energy demand has increased – but global electricity demand has increased two and a half times higher. In the next 10 years, global electricity demand will increase six times more than global energy demand.

The biggest driver of this demand growth is the increase in air conditioning, set to increase further as incomes and temperatures rise. Growth is also coming from manufacturing, with processes becoming more electrified, and electric vehicles, with one in five cars globally being electric in 2024 compared with one in 25 five years ago. AI and data centres are also a major source of demand, with one medium-sized data centre consuming as much electricity as 100,000 homes.

“This is why we see the age of electricity coming – and it has many implications,” he said.

Constraints to growth

Addressing the constraints, Dr Birol said grids are a major bottleneck, with permitting and licensing processing being an issue. “Last year we saw 7 GB of renewables added to the global power system, the biggest in history, but 1,600 GW in renewables waiting in the queue to be connected. This is economically a criminal story.”

He also noted the bottleneck in terms of manufacturing capacity of electrical components. “If you want to buy a cable, especially a DC cable, you have to wait four years, for transformers, five years,” he noted.  

A second issue is electricity pricing, “very important for the competitiveness of any economy. It’s crucial that governments have the right pricing system. Having the right taxes and subsidies is extremely important. In Europe, electricity prices today are two times higher than before the energy crisis. We need the right diagnosis and the right cure so that economies and citizens are not hit by high electricity prices, a key indicator of whether a country can be economically competitive in the future.”

Another issue is the skyrocketing demand for copper, with a major supply deficit predicted by 2035. “The availability and affordability of copper can be a serious issue in the age of electricity.”

Fourthly, nuclear power is making a strong comeback around the world, driven by energy security concerns. “By 2025 we expect global nuclear electricity generation to be the highest in history,” Dr Birol said, noting that 70 GB of nuclear power plants are under construction, the highest amount in the last three decades, with more than 40 countries having firm plans to expand their nuclear capacity. “By around 2030 we may see commercial SMRs hitting the market,” he added.

Concluding, Dr Birol said, “We are seeing the global economy is being electrified in a rapid sense, mainly driven by emerging countries, but advanced economies are also part of it, driven by traditional as well as new sectors such as AI and electric vehicles. It will not be easy to address all the challenges that the new age will bring. Countries and companies who read what is happening and develop policies and strategies to make the most out of the age of electricity, will have a significant advantage over others in the race of global economic competition.”

These projects will strengthen Egypt’s energy infrastructure. (Image source: AMEA Power)

AMEA Power, one of the fastest-growing renewable energy companies, has signed Capacity Purchase Agreements (CPAs) with the Egyptian government to develop the country’s first standalone battery energy storage systems (BESS).

The projects, with a combined capacity of 1,500MWh, include a 500MWh BESS facility in Zafarana and a 1,000MWh BESS project in Benban.

The agreements were signed by Eng. Mona Rizk, Chairperson of the Egyptian Electricity Transmission Company (EETC), and Aqueel Bohra, Chief Investment Officer at AMEA Power, in the presence of Dr. Mahmoud Esmat, Egypt’s Minister of Electricity and Renewable Energy, alongside key representatives from both organisations.

North African market

These landmark projects will play a crucial role in strengthening Egypt’s energy infrastructure, enhancing grid stability, and supporting the integration of renewable energy sources into the national grid.

AMEA Power has been instrumental in advancing Egypt’s clean energy transition, with investments exceeding US$3bn across solar, wind, and battery storage projects.

With the addition of these BESS installations, the company’s total renewable energy capacity in Egypt now stands at 2,500MW of wind and solar projects and 2,400MWh of battery storage.

AMEA Power remains committed to driving socio-economic development through local community partnerships.

The company will implement community investment and development programmes designed to create long-term, positive social impact in the regions where it operates.

Hussain Al Nowais, chairman of AMEA Power, said, “This agreement marks a transformative moment in our journey to power a sustainable future for Egypt. By deploying advanced battery storage solutions, we are not only strengthening the country’s energy infrastructure but also paving the way for a more resilient and decarbonised power sector. AMEA Power is fully committed to accelerating Egypt’s clean energy ambitions through innovative, large-scale renewable projects that drive economic growth, create jobs, and deliver lasting environmental benefits.”