1
Challenges of Hybrid Grid Integration in Saudi
Arabia of Solar and Wind
Basil Alhindi, Rayan Altuaimy
Abstract—Under Vision 2030, Saudi Arabia has made
renewable power a cornerstone of its diversification agenda.
Folding large volumes of solar and wind into the existing network
introduces intertwined technical, economic, and regulatory
hurdles. This review interrogates those hurdles—and the
opportunities they create—through a Saudi-specific lens. We
survey the evolving energy mix, assess hybrid solar–wind
prospects, identify grid-integration bottlenecks, and outline
remedial options. Particular attention is paid to optimal plant
siting, mitigation of intermittency, AC–DC interfacing, and the
deployment of smart-grid functions. The analysis also addresses
policy instruments, financial incentives, workforce readiness,
advanced storage pathways, and the Kingdom’s net-zero
commitment. We conclude that coordinated action—targeted
policy, technological progress, and sustained R&D investment—
can deliver the stated renewable targets and steer Saudi Arabia
toward a durable low-carbon future.
Index Terms—Solar energy in Saudi Arabia, Wind energy in
Saudi Arabia, Integrating renewable energy to the grid
I. INTRODUCTION
For decades, Saudi Arabia’s prosperity has been tethered to
hydrocarbons, yet the national energy agenda is now shifting
decisively toward low-carbon sources. Vision 2030—the
strategic framework for economic diversification—elevates
renewable power to a central policy objective [1]. Moving
from an oil-centered grid to one supplied by inherently
variable solar and wind resources raises a host of operational,
economic and regulatory questions. Grid integration therefore
requires simultaneous attention to power-system engineering,
cost competitiveness and an enabling legal framework.
This review interrogates those issues within the Saudi
context. Specifically, we survey the resource base for hybrid
solar–wind schemes, identify the principal technical barriers to
their connection and assess candidate remedies. Throughout,
we draw on recent empirical studies and project experience to
map a pragmatic transition pathway.
The paper proceeds as follows: Section 2 profiles the
current energy mix and renewable potential. Section 3
integrates the siting criteria of the plants. Section 4 analyses
the technical prerequisites for hybrid plant interconnection.
Section 5 reviews storage options for stabilizing the grid.
Section 6 analyses investment economics together with
regulatory and policy advantages. Section 7 synthesizes the
findings and offers recommendations for technology
deployment and future research.
.
II. SAUDI ARABIA’S ENERGY LANDSCAPE AND RENEWABLE
PROSPECTS
Saudi Arabia's electricity generation remains heavily
skewed toward fossil fuels; oil and natural gas still provide
more than 90% of national power output [2]. Such
dependence, once an economic advantage, now brings
environmental liability and diversification risk amid global
decarbonization. Demand is high and growing, propelled by
industrial expansion, population growth, and the cooling load
of an extreme climate.
Yet the kingdom sits on an exceptional renewable resource
base. Its skies receive intense, year-round sunlight that suits
large-scale
photovoltaic
deployment—average
global
horizontal irradiance reaches about 2,200 kWh/m²/yr. Several
northern and western corridors also register robust,
commercially viable wind regimes [3].
Saudi Arabia has identified this opportunity and its working
towards achieving mixed energy sources. Under the National
Renewable Energy Program, the government targets 58.7 GW
of PV and 40 GW of wind—roughly half of projected
electricity generation—by 2030 [1,8]. The Saudi Green
Initiative reinforces that pledge with more than US $187
billion in green investment and a goal to cut 278 Mt CO₂-e
annually by 2030.
III. STRATEGIC SITING OF HYBRID SOLAR–WIND FACILITIES
The section links spatial sitting decisions with the gridintegration hurdles that ultimately determine hybrid-plant
viability.
A. Solar Radiation Distribution in Saudi Arabia
ElNesr et al. combined three decades of climatic data from
29 meteorological stations and produced station-specific shortwave radiation (Rs) estimates with a mean absolute error of
2.1% a threefold improvement over earlier Angström-type
models [10]. Table I gives the annual-mean Rs for a
representative twelve-station selection; values fall between ≈
20.6 and 22.9 MJ m⁻² day⁻¹, reconfirming the kingdom-wide
high solar resource. Means are plotted in Fig. 1 and exhibit
only moderate spatial variation, although the Red Sea coast
(Jeddah, Yanbu) is slightly higher than the interior plateau.
The study also finds a negative relationship between empirical
coastality factor Kr and altitude and distance inland from the
seashores [10]. We can conclude from this study that solar
radiations across Saudi Arabia does not have a noticeable
variation.
2
Station
Dhahran
Al Jouf
Al Qassim
Arar
Avg Rs (MJ/m²/day)
21.7
21.3
21.4
20.9
Riyadh (Mid.)
Jeddah
Yanbu
Gizan
Turaif
Rafha
21.7
22.9
22.5
21.8
20.6
21.2
Tabuk
Hafr Al-Batin
21.5
21.7
C. Integrated Suitability for Hybrid Solar–Wind Deployment
Overlapping ElNesr et al.'s solar map with Salah et al.'s
wind hierarchy reveals the Haql–NEOM coastal corridor as
the most suitable region for hybrid plants. Along this corridor,
daily Rs is kept > 22 MJ m⁻² day⁻¹ while nocturnal land–sea
breezes keep mean wind speeds > 7 m s⁻¹, leading to high
resource complementarity. Secondary choices include
Yanbu—moderate winds combined with the kingdom's
highest reported insolation (22.5 MJ m⁻²day⁻¹)—and Arar,
offering good winds together with easy grid connection to the
northern load centers. By comparison, inland cities such as
Riyadh experience good irradiance but insufficient wind
capacity factors to render co-location economically viable.
Thus, the extension of the Tabuk grid backbone to Haql is
proposed to unlock > 80 % renewable capacity factors [10,11].
Table I
IV. TECHNICAL CONSTRAINTS ON HYBRID GRID
INTEGRATION
Fig. 1. Solar Irradiance recorded by Station
B. Wind characteristics in Saudi Arabia
For wind, Salah et al. processed a decade of anemometric
data from twelve stations, fitted Weibull curves, and derived
annual mean 10 m wind speeds. Figure 2 exposes a sharp
gradient: Haql on the Gulf of Aqaba averages 7.5 m s⁻¹—>
200 W m⁻² for 11 months—whereas southern Najran musters
only 2 ms⁻¹ [11]. Intermediate sites Yanbu (4.9 ms⁻¹) and Arar
(4.5 ms⁻¹) clear the 4 m s⁻¹ criterion for medium turbines,
whereas Riyadh and Gassim hover below it. Consequently,
Haql—and, to a lesser degree, Yanbu and Dhahran—emerge
as prime utility-scale wind sites, especially with 100 m hub
heights [11].
Variability of Renewable sources
The short-term output of photovoltaic (PV) arrays varies
with cloud transients, whereas wind-turbine power follows
low-frequency turbulence. In a simulated Saudi 33-bus feeder,
once instantaneous PV penetration exceeded 40% of feeder
demand, the maximum bus voltage climbed above 1.10 p.u.
and ~60% of nodes breached the 1.07 p.u. limit, underscoring
the need for fast voltage-regulation schemes [12]. Table II
synthesizes the quantitative envelope reported for Saudi
feeders and for Haql-Yanbu coastal installations. At the
system scale, accurate irradiance- and mesoscale-wind nowcasting reduces forecast error to <6 % and allows dispatchable
gas turbines or battery energy-storage systems (BESS) to preposition reserves. Recent field trials on the Central Region
grid show that a 25-MW/50-MWh BESS suppressed 70% of
observed 3-s PV ramps and kept voltage excursions within
±3% [12].
PV share of
feeder peak
10%
20%
40%
60%
Max. bus voltage (p.u.)
1.03
1.07
1.11
1.15
Table II
Synchronization & Frequency Stability
Fig. 2. Annual Wind Speed by Station
% buses > 1.07 p.u.
≈0 %
<5 %
60%
>80 %
3
AC–DC Conversion Inefficiencies
State-of-the-art three-level silicon-carbide PV inverters
achieve weighted efficiencies of 95–98 % under IEC-61683
test conditions [13]; nonetheless, NREL loss audits assign an
average 2 – 4 % of annual PV-plant yield to DC–AC
conversion and control overhead [14]. Efficiency degrades by
0.3 %–0.5 % for every 10 °C heat-sink rise, emphasizing the
need for desert-rated cooling designs. For hybrid plants, DCcoupled PV + BESS architectures avoid a second conversion
stage and can recover ~1.7 % of round-trip losses relative to
AC-coupling in Saudi ambient profiles [14]. Emerging
medium-voltage modular multilevel converters (MMC) offer
bidirectional 99 % link efficiencies for ±300 kV VSC-HVDC
export schemes planned for NEOM.
V. STORAGE OPTIONS FOR OPTIMUM GRID STABILITY
Saudi Arabia aims to install 48 GWh of battery-energy
storage by 2030 and has already tendered 26 GWh, signaling a
decisive capital push into this technology [15]. Two public
entities are leading the charge: SPPC is signing long-term
offtake contracts, while SEC has announced a 2.5 GW/10
GWh battery fleet spread over five regions [16]. These
investments must be matched by grid reinforcements and
smart-grid controls if large shares of renewables are to stay
stable and reliable [17].
High solar- and wind-penetration systems therefore need
storage that can respond in milliseconds, perform seamless
AC–DC–AC cycling, deliver high round-trip efficiency, and
scale independently in power and energy. Lithium-ion batterystorage systems (Li-BESS) paired with grid-forming inverters
currently meet those requirements better than any alternative.
Modern Li-ion cells reach 265 Wh kg⁻¹, ~97 % round-trip
efficiency, and millisecond ramp rates, enabling both subsecond and minute-scale frequency services [18,19]. Coupled
to bidirectional voltage-source converters, Li-BESS can set
voltage and frequency—so-called grid-forming operation—
even when no synchronous machines are online [18]. The
technology’s modular nature lets operators add inverter strings
for power or battery racks for energy, tailoring plants to
smooth diurnal swings in PV and wind output.
Redox-flow batteries (RFBs) instead store energy in
external electrolytes; they exceed 15 000 cycles and supply
hours-to-days of storage at 65–80 % efficiency [20]. Table III
distils the headline figures for Li-BESS and the leading flow
chemistry, vanadium RFBs. Although RFBs shine in >8 h
shifting and long calendar life, their 20–50 Wh kg⁻¹ density,
slower (ms–s) dynamics, and larger footprint curb their use
where fast frequency response and high-power density matter
[20,21]. For sub-second tasks such as synthetic inertia and fast
frequency regulation, Li-BESS remains the first-choice
resource, while RFBs can partner with Li-BESS in hybrid
plants, offering economical multi-hour shifting and sparing
lithium batteries from deep-cycle stress.
Li‐Ion BESS
Metric
Vanadium
RFB
Energy Density
(Wh/kg)
150–265
20–50
Round‐Trip
Efficiency
90–97 %
65–80 %
Response Time
< 10 ms
50 ms–1 s
Cycle Life (cycles)
3 000–5 000
> 15 000
Modular racks
& inverters
Independent
power & energy
Scalability
Footprint (kWh/m²)
3–5
10–15
Capital Cost
300–500
350–600
(USD/kWh)
Table III. Li‐Ion BESS vs. Vanadium Redox Flow Batteries
VI. ECONOMIC FUNDAMENTALS: WEIGHING COSTS,
BENEFITS, AND RISK-ADJUSTED RETURNS
For Saudi Arabia—a country long anchored to fossil
fuels—the make-or-break issue for any renewable venture is
economic viability. World-class solar and wind are plentiful,
yet turning them into a balanced generation mix demands
shrewd planning and well-targeted capital.
A. LCOE: A Changing Cost Benchmark
The levelized cost of energy (LCOE) the lifetime average
price per kilowatt-hour once all capital, operating and fuel
costs are counted—remains the sector’s gold-standard metric
for cost competitiveness. Recent datasets show that this
benchmark is tilting rapidly in favour of renewables.
Energy Source
LCOE (USD/kWh)
Solar PV (Al Shuaiba-1)
$0.0104
Wind (Al Ghat)
$0.0157
Table III
Table III confirms a steep LCOE slide for Saudi solar-andwind projects, making hybrid configurations markedly more
affordable [22], [23].
VII. SOLUTIONS AND FUTURE DIRECTIONS: A PRACTICAL
ROADMAP FOR LARGE-SCALE RENEWABLE INTEGRATION
Saudi Arabia’s hybrid solar–wind rollout should advance
along three interlocking tracks: pinpointing the best sites,
modernizing the grid, and building a diversified storage fleet.
4
Strategic site selection
The Haql–NEOM coastline is the optimal choice for the
hybrid plant location due to the combination of high solar
radiation that exceeds 22 MJ m⁻² day⁻¹ and consistent wind
speed that stays above 7 m s⁻¹. Subsequent micro-siting must
resolve shading, turbulence, and wake losses; moreover, the
inverse relationship between kr, altitude, and inland distance
should steer future coastal surveys.
Synchronization and grid integration.
Field studies show that when instantaneous photovoltaic
(PV) tops about 40% of feeder load, more than half the
secondary buses drift outside the ±7% voltage band unless fast
controls intervene [12]. To overcome the variability of solar
and wind energy, AI-enhanced irradiance and mesoscale-wind
nowcasting are recommended, which already hold forecast
error under 6%, giving operators time to schedule peakers or
BESS.
Energy storage—closing the supply–demand gap
Lithium-ion BESS offer up to 265 Wh kg⁻¹, ~97 % roundtrip efficiency, and millisecond ramp rates—making them
indispensable for synthetic inertia and primary frequency
control [13,24]. Redox-flow batteries add > 15,000 cycles at
65–80 % efficiency for multi-hour shifting, sparing Li-ion
packs from deep cycling [25]. Therefore, using a combination
of Li-BESS and redox-flow batteries covers both short-term
and long-duration needs.
V. CONCLUSION
This review has traced Saudi Arabia’s drive toward a
broader, low-carbon energy mix under Vision 2030.
Hydrocarbons still dominate the Kingdom, yet cheaper
renewables—paired with environmental goals and a search for
long-term resilience—are now pushing a major pivot. Meeting
the 2030 targets of 58.7 GW photovoltaic and 40 GW wind
will involve far more than erecting hardware. Success hinges
on coordinated site choice, grid modernisation and smart
energy-storage roll-out.
Key findings
• Strategic siting. The Haql–NEOM coast stands out for firstwave hybrid projects thanks to its complementary sun and
wind. Micro-siting must next tackle shading, turbulence and
wake losses to lift yields.
• Grid modernisation. Variable renewables call for forwardlooking grid reinforcement; AI-driven forecasts and rapid
voltage-control schemes are vital for stability as PV shares
rise.
• Energy storage. Pairing Li-ion BESS for fast response with
flow batteries for long shifts bridges supply–demand gaps and
hardens the grid.
• Economics. Falling LCOE for Saudi solar and wind is
making hybrid plants ever more bankable, though continued
cost drops and creative finance will still be needed to keep
deployment on pace.
Future research priorities
1. Advanced materials. Develop perovskite PV and
dust-tolerant turbine designs to boost efficiency and
cut upkeep.
2. Smart-grid tools. Create real-time control
algorithms and communications layers for dynamic
resource allocation.
3. Hybrid optimization. Test plant layouts that blend
solar, wind, storage and green hydrogen for peak
efficiency and reliability.
4. Regulation. Craft adaptive rules that spur
competition, attract capital and smooth grid
integration.
5. Workforce. Expand training to build the skills
needed to design, operate and maintain renewable
energy systems.
6. Impact studies. Carry out full environmental
assessments on land use, water and biodiversity, and
mitigate any risks.
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