Chinese electric vehicle and lithium-ion battery company BYD has signed a contract with Saudi Electricity Company (SEC) to implement a 12.5 GWh energy storage project. The project includes five facilities that will use MC Cube-T energy storage systems with CTS (cell-to-system) super-integration technology. The Vcts index (cell volume as a percentage of the system volume) exceeds 33%.

Previously, BYD implemented projects in Saudi Arabia with a total capacity of 2.6 GWh, including a 500 MW facility with a capacity of 2,000 MWh in Asir province. With the new contract, the company’s total portfolio in the country will reach 15.1 GWh.

Saudi Arabia plans to increase renewable energy capacity to 100-130 GW by 2030 and increase the share of renewable energy in electricity generation to 50%. To this end, the country holds annual competitive selections of 20 GW of renewable energy projects and implements energy storage projects to integrate variable generation from solar and wind.

In October 2023, China’s Hithium Energy Storage Technology Co. and Saudi Arabia’s MANAT announced the creation of a joint venture to produce battery energy storage systems in Saudi Arabia with a planned annual capacity of 5 GWh.

By the end of 2024, BYD took second place in the world ranking of lithium-ion battery manufacturers with a market share of 17.2%.