TAQA and EDF to collaborate on advancing geothermal in Saudi Arabia
Signing of MoU between TAQA Geothermal and EDF in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia (source: EDF)
Carlo Cariaga
14 Feb 2025
TAQA Geothermal and EDF will be collaborating on the advancement of geothermal for power generation and cooling applications in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
EDF Saudi Arabia and TAQA Geothermal Energy Company have signed a strategic Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to collaborate on geothermal energy technologies including power generation, HVAC applications, and Compressed Air Energy Storage in Saudi Arabia. The agreement was signed at the 3rd PIF Private Sector Forum, held in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
The MoU was signed by Omar Aldaweesh, CEO of EDF Saudi Arabia, and Meshary Al-Ayed, CEO of TAQA Geothermal Energy Company, reinforcing the commitment of both companies to advancing innovative and decarbonised energy technologies in the Kingdom. Also in attendance were Gudmundur Thoroddsson, Chief Technology Officer of TAQA Geothermal and Chairman of Reykjavik Geothermal, TAQA Geothermal’s joint venture partner.
This collaboration sets the stage for pioneering geothermal energy solutions in Saudi Arabia, paving the way for cleaner and more efficient power and cooling technologies. By leveraging their combined expertise, TAQA Geothermal and EDF aim to unlock the full potential of geothermal resources, reinforcing the Kingdom’s leadership in renewable energy innovation.
TAQA Geothermal has been working on a geothermal pilot and research project at the King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST), which involved the drilling of a 400-meter depth well.
“This partnership is a natural progression of EDF’s longstanding commitment to Saudi Arabia’s energy sector. Over the past decade, we have been actively contributing to the Kingdom’s energy landscape through our expertise in sustainable solutions, and this MoU further strengthens our role in advancing innovative technologies,” said Omar Aldaweesh, CEO of EDF Saudi Arabia.
“By collaborating with TAQA Geothermal, we are leveraging our extensive experience to explore new frontiers in geothermal energies and compressed air energy storage. This initiative is fully aligned with both Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030 and EDF’s Ambitions 2035, reinforcing our shared commitment to sustainability and to the country’s transition to a cleaner energy future.”
Meshary Alayed, CEO of TAQA Geothermal, added: “Geothermal energy utilization whether via direct heat use or electricity generation is a critical and untapped resource to drive the global transition to clean energy, as it is a reliable, renewable base load resource. The partnership between EDF and TAQA Geothermal in the field of geothermal solutions redefining space cooling, will have tremendous positive impacts on efficiency and carbon footprint reduction.”
“The combined strengths will demonstrate cutting-edge geothermal cooling systems for the Kingdom’s growing energy needs while supporting Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030 in economic diversification and the Ministry of Energy’s renewable energy mandates.”
To learn more about TAQA Geothermal, check out an interview we did at the GeoTHERM 2024 held in Offenburg, Germany in February 2024:
Source: TAQA
