SADAFCO launches solar power project

In a unique initiative for achieving a sustainable energy mix through a comprehensive renewable energy program, Saudia Dairy and Foodstuff Company (SADAFCO) launched a solar power project in Riyadh atop the car parking of its regional distribution center (RDC) in the capital.
The new commercially viable system is eco-friendly and aimed at reducing its carbon footprint, which is part of the ambitious Vision 2030.
SADAFCO last year in October announced its investment in a SR2 million solar power project for its Riyadh RDC, and now it has commenced operations utilizing a photo-voltaic diesel hybrid system that can deliver up to 40 percent of the facility’s daytime energy requirements.
Commenting on its new operation, Wout Matthijs, CEO of SADAFCO told Arab News on Wednesday, “we are excited that the Riyadh RDC solar project is operational, as it is a huge step toward having a sustainable energy mix.”
While the solar project currently benefits SADAFCO’s Riyadh RDC, it will provide the company with a framework and key insights on the possibilities of a wider implementation across its other locations.
“We are looking forward to find new ways to become more efficient and apply these experiences to other areas in which SADAFCO operates,” Matthijs said.
He said that “this is not just about powering our business, but reducing our operation’s carbon footprint in a way that is socially responsible.”
The uniqueness of the RDC installation is that it has a hybrid diesel-solar configuration and utilizes fuel-saver technology that reduces diesel consumption through advanced control algorithms between the solar energy output and the diesel generators.
Covering a surface area of about 1,600 square meters, over 2,000 solar cells have been installed atop the carport structures in the parking area offering an additional benefit of sun shade for cars, he said.
He added that the Riyadh RDC solar project has been executed on engineering, procurement and construction terms by the National Solar Systems Company, the Kingdom’s leading solar system integrator, which has a long record of successful solar installations since 2004.
The project will operate high performance thin film photo-voltaic modules from US-headquartered First Solar Inc., he said.
These modules deliver more energy than conventional crystalline silicon panels, in the hot, humid and dusty conditions experienced in the greater part of the Kingdom.
The hybrid system will not only result in cost savings from reduced diesel consumption on the generators necessary for an off-the-grid facility, but will decrease pollution as well.
The SADAFCO CEO further pointed out that the company will utilize the most eco-efficient solar technology as it generates 226KW of power from the sun and combines it with output of existing diesel generators.
Referring to a recent report by McKinsey, he pointed that if the Kingdom pursues market-oriented, productivity-focused, post-petroleum reforms, it can double its GDP by 2030, create 6 million new jobs, and raise household incomes by 60 percent.