Riyadh, December 19, 2024 – In a significant step toward advancing Saudi Arabia’s sustainability goals, the National Energy Services Company (Tarshid) and Saudi Arabia Railways (SAR) have officially signed a pioneering contract to implement energy-saving measures and enhance energy efficiency across SAR’s headquarters building and the buildings and facilities of SAR’s Riyadh North Station. This agreement represents a groundbreaking initiative within the Kingdom's private, logistics, and transportation sectors, aligning with the strategic objectives of Saudi Vision 2030 and the Saudi Green Initiative. By adopting sustainable, low-carbon energy solutions, the project aims to substantially contribute to the Kingdom’s environmental goals and reinforce its commitment to reducing carbon emissions.
The contract outlines a comprehensive retrofit project that is expected to yield significant energy savings. The initiative is projected to save approximately 7 gigawatt-hours (GWh) of energy annually, amounting to a total of 105 GWh over the project’s lifespan. This transformation will be achieved through a series of measures designed to optimize energy usage, including the installation of a chiller control system and variable speed drives for chilled water pumps. Additionally, a sophisticated control system for air handling units and exhaust fans will be integrated with the operations of the central cooling plant to enhance overall efficiency. Another key aspect of the project involves the installation of solar panels on the rooftops of the project’s buildings and facilities, contributing to the Kingdom's renewable energy goals.
Further improvements will be made by upgrading existing lighting systems to high-performance LED technology, with the addition of occupancy sensors and motion detectors throughout SAR’s headquarters and Riyadh North Station. These enhancements will not only increase energy efficiency but also improve operational performance, ensuring that energy consumption is optimized at all times, particularly in high-demand areas such as air conditioning and lighting.
Waled Al-Ghreri, Board Member and CEO of Tarshid, expressed his enthusiasm for the partnership, stating, “At Tarshid, we are fully committed to achieving the objectives of Saudi Vision 2030 by increasing energy efficiency and promoting sustainability. Our collaboration with SAR marks an important milestone in our efforts to help transform the Kingdom’s infrastructure and energy landscape. By working alongside both public and private sector entities, we aim to deliver measurable improvements in energy efficiency and help establish SAR as a benchmark for energy performance in the logistics and transportation sector.”
The anticipated environmental impact of the project is substantial. The measures being implemented will not only improve air conditioning and lighting performance but also result in significant reductions in carbon emissions and oil consumption. Over the course of the project, it is estimated that the energy savings will prevent the consumption of over 168,000 barrels of oil, and avoid approximately 60,000 metric tons of carbon emissions. This reduction is equivalent to the environmental benefit of planting more than one million trees, further highlighting the sustainability of the initiative.
This partnership between Tarshid and SAR underscores the Kingdom’s ongoing commitment to sustainability and energy efficiency under the broader framework of Saudi Vision 2030. By advancing energy-saving measures and significantly reducing carbon emissions, Tarshid continues to play a pivotal role in supporting the Kingdom’s environmental goals, while helping to create a more sustainable future for generations to come. Through initiatives like this, Saudi Arabia is positioning itself as a global leader in energy efficiency and sustainable development.