Abu Dhabi future energy company Masdar says, along with EDF Renewables, it has produced the first carbon-free megawatt-hours (MWh) of energy at Dumat Al Jandal wind project.

The 400MW facility, the largest wind farm in the Middle East and the first in Saudi Arabia, is now connected to the grid. The wind farm consists of 99 wind turbines from supplier and engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) contractor Vestas, each with a power output of 4.2 MW.

Construction on the project began in September 2019, and the wind turbine erection works are near completion. When complete, the wind farm will generate carbon-free energy, powering up to 70,000 Saudi households, while saving 988,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide per year in support of the kingdom’s climate change mitigation goals.

Olivier Marchand, Project Director of Dumat Al Jandal Wind Company for Energy, said: “We are delighted to start the early power production of this unique large-scale wind project in Saudi Arabia – Dumat Al Jandal wind farm. The outstanding commitment shown by our teams and contractors with the implementation of the highest health and safety standards and the full support provided by the Saudi Arabia Ministry of Energy, Saudi Power Procurement Company (SPCC) and the Saudi Electricity Company (SEC) have contributed to the successful execution of the project during this extremely challenging pandemic period.”

“We are now looking forward to successfully reaching, with our partners and contractors, the full commissioning of the project in the months to come,” he states.

Osama Al Othman, Country Representative, Saudi Arabia, for Masdar, said: “We are proud to be leveraging Masdar’s experience in renewable energy to deliver Saudi Arabia’s first wind farm in collaboration with our partners.”

“The successful connection of the project to the grid marks an important milestone for this landmark project in the kingdom and we look forward to project’s completion in the near future. As a global leader in the development of commercially viable wind power, Masdar is committed to advancing clean technology across the region and we will continue our efforts to support the country’s ambitious energy programme,” he added.

The Dumat Al Jandal wind farm will supply electricity under a 20-year power purchase agreement (PPA) with the SPCC – a subsidiary of the SEC – the Saudi power generation and distribution company.

The wind farm is also contributing to the region’s economy, creating more than 600 local jobs during the construction phase. The project has also achieved a significant health and safety milestone by securing 1.8 million man-hours without a single lost-time injury (LTI).