المملكة: “Al -Harat” and the soles of the earth in the Kingdom … promising sites to generate clean underground energy

Among the types of clean and renewable energy, thermal or ground energy remains the least well -known and widespread, and yet it is one of the most promising sources that can contribute greatly to the diversification of the electric energy mix and reduce carbon emissions in the Kingdom.
By 2030, the Kingdom aims to get rid of the use of liquid fuel to generate electricity, and to rely 50% on renewable energy and 50% on natural gas.

Although renewable energy currently constitutes only 1% of the Saudi energy mix, the productive capacity of electricity from these sources has witnessed a great leap, as it increased from 0.843 GB in 2022 to 2.689 GB at the end of last year, according to the reports of the Energy Research Unit.

A recent report issued by the King Abdullah Center for Petroleum Studies and Research (Cabpsk) believes that achieving the goals of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, as it is listed in the Carbon Ring Economy Program, requires a structural transformation in energy systems, especially in the electricity and transportation sectors.
This shift includes the publication of a wide range of modern technologies that contribute to the generation of electricity while reducing carbon emissions, including solar energy dependence, wind energy, and nuclear energy, as well as carbon detention technologies, storing and reusing carbon techniques.
However, despite the great capabilities of underground thermal energy, it did not receive the same level of interest in solar energy, wind and nuclear energy technologies.
So far, the Kingdom has only witnessed two attempts to explore this promising source of energy.

It was completed near Hurra Rahat, east of Medina, where preliminary studies have shown the presence of a promising capabilities to produce the thermal thermal energy.

Among the most important important factors that may contribute to supporting the radical energy in Saudi Arabia is that the methods and techniques required to explore and extract them are the same used in the oil and gas sector that characterizes the Kingdom, and has decades -stretching experience.

Since 2016, there has been increasing interest in the global oil and gas sector in developing ground thermal energy, in conjunction with the implementation of the Paris Climate Agreement and the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, as it can be used to generate electricity and heating.
And “Cabpsark” confirms that the thermal energy is competing with other renewable energy in providing low -carbon and cost -effective local energy sources; This makes it an attractive choice for carbon removal initiatives from the energy sector.
Kenya is one of the most prominent countries that worked to exploit its resources of underground thermal energy, bringing its share in the complex capacity to generate electricity to 30% in 2022, compared to 6% in 2000.
“Al -Harat” .. sites for ground energy generation
The Kabisark report indicates that the western region in the Kingdom has geological characteristics that indicate the presence of underground energy resources, which are linked to seismic and volcanic activities consisting of 11 regions.
These areas are known as “Al -Hurra”, and it has more than 2500 dormant volcanoes and many hot springs, some of which recorded average temperatures of 80 degrees Celsius, and the area from Jizan to the south is characterized by higher temperature changes.

Initial estimates indicate that the kingdom can add 1 GB of underground thermal energy by 2035; This helps her to fulfill her commitment to producing 50% of electricity through renewable sources.
Despite those estimates, exploration and drilling campaigns in the Kingdom, which have so far been limited to two attempts, have not reached accurate and reliable numbers of the thermal thermal resources and reserves.
According to the report – in the event of success of the exploratory project at King Abdullah University and other evaluation, a series of production and injection wells are drilled to reach the temperatures of 150 and 175 degrees Celsius, to evaluate the underground thermal energy systems in Saudi Arabia.