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Electricity Related
Information
     

Saudi Arabia has a massive electricity distribution network that extends to cities, towns and villages across the country. Its network consists of 8,750 miles of transmission lines, 52,000 miles of distribution lines and over 53,000 miles of service connections.

The Kingdom also uses desalination plants to generate electricity using the steam that is a byproduct of the desalination process. The Kingdom generates more than 26,300 MW of electricity, 2,800 MW of which is produced by the desalination plants. Saudi Arabia eventually plans to increase the electricity produced by these desalination plants to equal half of the total output.
 

The Saudi Electric Company (SEC) manages existing power generation, distribution and delivery facilities, as well as investment in new general plants. Wholly owned by shareholders, the SEC also sets the price of electricity sold to consumers and industry under rules set by a governing body based on the cost of production, distribution and services.

Saudi Arabia has also begun working with GCC countries to link their national power grids. Ultimately, plans include linking the GCC grid with the rest of the Arab world and Europe through Turkey and Syria.


 

 

Related Information: Energy

RecentNews:
 
07/14/2008   Cabinet welcomes King Abdullah’s call for interfaith dialogue
07/08/2008   King Abdullah approves program for privatizing SWCC
07/01/2008   King Abdullah: Saudi Arabia not responsible for high oil prices
06/24/2008   World Bank to work with Saudi Arabia on energy initiative


Other Documents:


Energy
More than a quarter of the world's proven oil reserves lie beneath the sands and offshore waters of Saudi Arabia. The discovery of these reserves and the building of the necessary facilities to make possible their use have made the Kingdom the world's largest exporter of oil and natural gas.

Oil
In 1933, Saudi Arabia's founder King Abdulaziz bin Abdelrahman Al-Saud granted the now-historic right to the Standard Oil Company of California (SOCAL) to prospect for oil in the Kingdom.

OPEC
The level of Saudi Arabia's oil production varies according to the state of the world oil market and the quotas of the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC).
Refining
In the 1960s, Saudi Arabia began to build refineries for domestic and export production. Prior to that, the Kingdom had to send its crude oil to foreign refineries for processing and import refined products for its own use. The country rapidly expanded its refining capacity under the development plans in the 1970s.
Gas
Saudi Arabia has vast reserves of natural gas, including dissolved, associated and non-associated gases. Most of the natural gas produced is associated gas - light hydrocarbon gases such as ethane and propane produced in association with crude oil.
Minerals & Minings
As early as 1,000 BC, the inhabitants of the Arabian Peninsula extracted gold, silver and copper from the mine called Mahd Al-Dhahab (Cradle of Gold), located about 180 miles northeast of Jeddah.
Solar Energy
In keeping with its long-standing objective of exploring major renewable sources of energy, Saudi Arabia has undertaken extensive research on solar energy.



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