Saudi Arabia’s ACWA Power said on Wednesday it has begun commercial operations at three solar power plants with a combined capacity of 2.79 gigawatts (GW), a major step in the kingdom’s drive to expand renewable energy generation.
The company received an initial commercial operation certificate for the 1,425-megawatt (MW) Al Kahfah solar independent power project in the Hail region, according to a filing to the Saudi stock exchange.
It also secured an initial operation certificate for 1,000 MW of the 2,000 MW capacity at the Ar Rass 2 solar project in the Qassim region.
In Riyadh, ACWA Power received a second commercial operation certificate covering 365.7 MW at the SAAD 2 photovoltaic plant, completing its full 1,125 MW capacity.
ACWA Power holds a 50.1% stake in each of the three projects. The company said the financial impact of the new capacity would be reflected in its second-half 2025 results.
Saudi Arabia, the world’s top oil exporter, is targeting 50% of its electricity mix from renewables by 2030 as part of efforts to diversify its energy sources and reduce emissions.
