The Ministry of Energy of Saudi Arabia commemorated the mid-term construction of the Dumat Yandar wind farm, which is the first utility-scale wind farm in Saudi Arabia with an installed capacity of more than 400 MW and the largest wind farm in the Middle East. The Danish wind turbine manufacturer Vestas has installed half of the 99 V150-4.2MW wind turbines for the project. The Duwat Yandar wind farm project is located in Al Jouf province, 900 kilometers north of Riyadh. It was awarded to the consortium by the Renewable Energy Project Development Office (REPDO) of the Ministry of Energy, Industry and Mineral Resources of Saudi Arabia in 2019.

According to the agreement, the Duma Yandar wind farm will provide electricity under a 20-year purchase agreement (PPA) signed with the Saudi Electricity Procurement Company (SPPC), a subsidiary of Saudi Electricity Company (SEC), a Saudi power generation and distribution company. Vestas Mena General Manager Mohamed Bu-Zayed said: "As a sustainable energy solution provider with a leading position in the field of wind power, our ambition is to build Saudi Arabia together with other sustainable leaders in the region. Renewable energy center in Arabia and the entire Middle East.

The largest wind farm in the Middle East

"We believe that the Dumat Al Jandal wind farm is not only the energy sector, but also the first step in the diversification of the renewable energy sector. By incorporating wind power into the energy structure, it will eventually create three times the job opportunities for local talents. When completing projects that prioritize quality and safety, we look forward to accelerating Saudi Arabia's clean energy transition and sustainable development leadership journey," he added.

The EPC order was developed by a consortium led by renewable energy leaders in the region (EDF Renewable Energy and Masdar) and was awarded to Vestas in 2019. The scope of the project includes the supply and installation of 99 V150-4.2MW wind turbines and a 20-year active output management 4000 service agreement for the operation and maintenance of the wind farm.

Vestas was one of the first companies to introduce wind power in the country in 2013. Since then, Vestas has held a number of training programs and conferences in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, and now contributes to Saudi Arabia's 16GW by 2030 through the Dumat Yandar wind farm. After the wind farm is completed and put into commercial operation in 2022, it will be possible to provide clean electricity to 70,000 Saudi households and replace 988,000 tons of carbon emissions every year to support Saudi Arabia’s climate change.

Minister of Energy Abdulaziz bin Salman and Prince Faisal bin Nawaf, Governor of Juf Province Ole Mosby, Danish Ambassador to Saudi Arabia Ludovic Puje , Bruno Bensason, French Ambassador to Saudi Arabia, Group Senior Executive Vice President Renewable Energy, EDF Renewable Energy CEO Fawaz Muhalami, Acting Executive Director of the Ministry of Clean Energy Masdar visited Du Matt Yandal construction site to commemorate the installation of wind turbines by Vestas.  Editor/XuNing