GlassPoint, a company that specializes in decarbonizing industrial process heat, has announced plans to build the world’s largest industrial solar thermal project in Saudi Arabia. The project, called Maaden I, will be built in partnership with Saudi mining company Maaden and Spanish utility company Cox.
The project is part of a $1.5 billion investment that will combine direct solar to heat technology with advanced thermal storage to reduce carbon emissions in Maaden’s aluminum supply chain. The first stage of the project is the GlassPoint Ma’aden Technology Showcase (GMTS), which will feature advanced technology developments from GlassPoint.
The GMTS will enable industrial facilities to reduce their carbon emissions by up to 70% while delivering cost parity with traditional gas-powered steam systems. GlassPoint has made several additions in technology, including the development of anticlastic polymer membranes, high-performance Niobium mirrors, and ternary liquid salt. These advancements have reduced the cost of the solar field by 30% and the cost of the thermal storage subsystem by 50%.
To support the project, GlassPoint will build a solar manufacturing facility in Saudi Arabia in partnership with the Ministry of Investment of Saudi Arabia (MISA). Rod MacGregor, CEO GlassPoint stated that, “the company is proud to partner with the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia to develop the largest industrial solar thermal project in history”. The facility will export high-technology renewable energy components to the region.
The project is expected to contribute to Saudi Arabia’s goal of reaching net-zero carbon emissions by 2060. Khalid Al Falih, the Saudi Minister of Investment, stated that, “the project will help build a cutting-edge concentrated solar power-to-steam manufacturing facility in the kingdom, strengthening the economy and creating an independent supply chain.”
The CEO of Ma’aden, Bob Wilt, further said, “the project is an important step towards large-scale decarbonization and supports the kingdom’s net-zero target”.
