On the coast of the Red Sea, the tall chimneys of Jeddah South and Shugaige power plants used to constantly inhale and exhale thick smoke produced by burning heavy oil. Since its commissioning in 2017, these two power plants with a total installed capacity of nearly 6 gigawatts have been the backbone of power on the west coast of Saudi Arabia. Now, with the horn of energy transformation sounding, old units are about to undergo a green transformation. On July 13, 2026, Mitsubishi Power officially won a major boiler renovation order, and a project to upgrade a heavy oil boiler to a natural gas dual fuel system is about to begin, injecting cleaner energy into this hot land.

The order has been officially confirmed

According to the latest signed supply contract, Mitsubishi Power will provide key boiler components for two large thermal power plants, Jeddah South and Shugaige. This cooperation is jointly promoted by the local leading enterprise Dabalak Contracting and Operating Company and Mitsubishi Corporation. As an original equipment manufacturer for power plants, Mitsubishi Power will ensure seamless integration between new components and old systems through its deep understanding of existing equipment, and will provide comprehensive technical support from local partners to ensure efficient project execution.

Dual fuel transformation is fully implemented

The core of this technological transformation is to upgrade the existing heavy oil boiler to a dual fuel boiler that can flexibly switch and co combust between natural gas and heavy oil. Two power plants are each equipped with four units, and since their commercial operation in 2017, the equipment renovation foundation is good. Through this upgrade, the power plant can not only significantly improve operational flexibility, but also effectively reduce pollutant emissions, while meeting the strong electricity demand on the West Coast and significantly improving environmental performance. Keywords: Middle East news and information, energy transformation

Supporting the Implementation of Vision 2030

This is a crucial step for Saudi Arabia to implement its national strategic vision 2030. Saudi Arabia is vigorously promoting the optimization of fuel structure for power generation, with plans to increase the proportion of natural gas power generation to over 50%. In response to the high proportion of heavy oil power generation on the West Coast, this fuel conversion project will not only help maintain grid stability, but also significantly reduce carbon dioxide emissions. Mitsubishi Power stated that it will continue to assist Saudi Arabia in achieving its dual goals of economic development and environmental protection through low-carbon solutions.Editor/Gao Xue