On October 21, 2024, Riyadh — Global new Energy leader GT PowerSafe released the “Desert Eagle” high temperature and high protection energy Storage solution at the 2024 Solar & Energy Storage Expo Saudi. And signed a framework agreement with Saudi ACWA Power, UAE Masdar and East Africa Off-grid Energy Alliance with a total value of more than 2.7 billion US dollars, marking China’s deep participation in the Middle East-East Africa energy transformation process.
Technical breakthrough: Crack the magic spell of 55℃ extreme thermal environment energy storage
For the desert climate of the Middle East and off-grid scenarios of East Africa, GT PowerSafe presents three innovative technologies:
Self-cooling battery compartment: The bionic dune airflow design is adopted, and the operating temperature of the battery can be stabilized below 35℃ when there is no external refrigeration, and the energy consumption is 60% lower than that of the traditional liquid cooling system;
Sand and dust protection system: IP68 seal combined with nano-coating anti-corrosion technology, through Saudi SASO certification of 72-hour sandstorm simulation test;
Off-grid optical storage machine: integrated photovoltaic MPPT controller and diesel generator seamless switching module, single support 200 households 72 hours of continuous power supply, has been deployed in Somalia rural microgrid project.
Localization strategy: Joint venture factory + technology transfer two-wheel drive
GT PowerSafe announced a joint venture with REPDO, a subsidiary of Saudi sovereign fund PIF, to invest $1.8 billion in the construction of a 15GWh per year energy storage plant in NEOM New City, supporting the construction of the Middle East’s first solid-state battery research institute. At the same time, the “Oasis Plan” was launched to train 500 energy storage operation and maintenance engineers for East African countries, and the Ethiopian energy Minister commented that: “For the first time, Chinese enterprises have realized the deep binding of technology output and local capacity building.”
Project signing: Red Sea Energy Storage Hub + East Africa off-grid revolution
Red Sea New City 2.1GWh project: To provide containerized system for the world’s largest off-grid energy storage project, equipped with intelligent salt spray protection technology, suitable for the high humidity corrosion environment along the Red Sea coast;
East Africa Million Villages microgrid plan: to Kenya, Tanzania to deliver 50,000 sets of household energy storage equipment, using lithium iron phosphate + supercapacitor hybrid architecture, support 10 years of ultra-long warranty;
Oman Oil Light Storage Alternative project: Provide modular energy storage stations for traditional oil and gas fields, reduce diesel power generation by 73%, and reduce carbon emissions by 420,000 tons per year.
Data Insights: Leveraging the regional market explosion in 2030
According to the Middle East Solar Energy Industry Association (MESIA) report, by 2030, the installed energy storage capacity in the Middle East will reach 58GWh, of which Saudi Arabia accounts for more than 40%; The East African off-grid energy storage market is expected to exceed $9 billion. “We are planning to set up regional service centres in Jeddah and Mombasa and increase the Middle East-East Africa market from 12 per cent to 35 per cent of our revenues in the next three years,” said Levy, CEO of GT PowerSafe.
