First Solar installs pilot irrigation project in Saudi Arabia

Facebook
Twitter
LinkedIn
Reddit
Email
Saudi Arabia stalled on its ambitious plans to invest US$109 billion in solar power. Source: Flickr/freestock.

First Solar has installed a 684kW pilot PV system for a major agricultural firm in Saudi Arabia.

The array will drive pumps currently powered by diesel to irrigate around 2.5 hectares of land. The agriculture company, Al Watania, owns the site in the Al Jouf region of the country. The farm covers a total of 31,921 hectares and uses 150 bore wells.

This article requires Premium SubscriptionBasic (FREE) Subscription

Try Premium for just $1

  • Full premium access for the first month at only $1
  • Converts to an annual rate after 30 days unless cancelled
  • Cancel anytime during the trial period

Premium Benefits

  • Expert industry analysis and interviews
  • Digital access to PV Tech Power journal
  • Exclusive event discounts

Or get the full Premium subscription right away

Or continue reading this article for free

The project was jointly funded by First Solar and Al Watania.

“This project is an excellent example of the scalability and flexibility that solar PV offers. Easy-to-deploy and able to address very specific needs, innovative solar-powered solutions can address a wide range of energy challenges, as this pilot facility demonstrates,” said Dr. Raed Bkayrat, vice president of business for First Solar in the Middle East.

First Solar has secured a foothold in the region installing the first phase of Dubai’s solar park and winning the module supply deal for the 200MW second phase.

Saudi Arabia stalled on its ambitious plans to invest US$109 billion in solar power. Internal politics regarding which entity should take a lead on deployment has hamstrung progress.

Illustration of how the irrigation system will operate. Image: First Solar.

Read Next

September 1, 2025
General Corporation for Electricity Transmission and Distribution has signed a deal with Syrian-Turkish Energy Company (STE) to build a 100MW solar plant in Kafr Behm, Hama Governorate.
August 28, 2025
Bahraini, Chinese, Egyptian and Emirati groups have agreed to develop a new solar and storage manufacturing facility in Egypt
August 22, 2025
Saudi developer ACWA Power has started commercial operations of a 2.7GW solar PV portfolio in its home country.
August 20, 2025
The consortium building the Al Sadawi PV power plant in Saudi Arabia has reached financial close on the 2GW project.
August 18, 2025
Investment fund Stonepeak has launched a new Middle Eastern renewables platform headed up by a former executive at Jinko Power.
August 6, 2025
The Indian Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE) has published the approved list of models and manufacturers (ALMM) for solar cells, which contains 13GW of annual nameplate capacity across six manufacturers.

Subscribe to Newsletter

Upcoming Events

Solar Media Events
September 16, 2025
Athens, Greece
Solar Media Events
September 30, 2025
Seattle, USA
Solar Media Events
October 1, 2025
London, UK
Solar Media Events
October 2, 2025
London,UK
Solar Media Events
October 7, 2025
Manila, Philippines