Saudi Arabia to invest in UK project to harness clean energy from space

 

Saudi Arabia to invest in UK project to harness clean energy from space 

Saudi Arabia is looking to invest into a UK project to use clean energy from space. A meeting between British Business Secretary Grant Shapps and Saudi communications minister, Abdullah al-Swaha, last week looked into the possibility of Saudi funding to space-based solar power (SBSP) project

A report published in The Times says Saudi Arabia’s $500b Neom development, has already funneled some of the millions raised by Space Solar, a British firm, into the project.

The British government is eager to tap the potential of space for energy. For instance, the Space Energy Initiative aims to deliver 30gigawatts (GW) of continuous clean power from the cosmos by the mid-2040s.

The power station will be made up of satellites with lightweight solar panels and a system of mirrors to concentrate sunlight onto the panels, generating around 3.4 GW of electricity on the satellite. One project, Space Solar, has been looking to the Middle East as it seeks funding to get it its own project off the ground. Sam Adlen, joint chief executive of Space Solar, has termed Saudi interest a significant step in this direction.

Source: https://www.express.co.uk/