Saudi Arabia’s largest mining company, Ma’aden, is taking a bold step toward cleaner operations with a landmark deal that will make its Al Baitha Bauxite Mine one of the first large-scale mines in the region to run predominantly on renewable energy.
Through its subsidiary, Ma’aden Bauxite and Alumina Company (MBAC), the miner has signed a 30-year Power Purchase Agreement (PPA) with Emerge, the joint venture between Abu Dhabi’s Masdar and France’s EDF. The partnership will deliver a fully integrated solar and storage facility designed to transform how energy is used in Middle East mining.
A Solar-Storage First for Regional Mining
The project includes an 8 MWp solar photovoltaic plant paired with a 30 MWh battery energy storage system (BESS), ensuring reliable 24/7 power delivery—a critical requirement for mining operations.
Once completed, the facility is expected to generate 17,300 MWh of electricity annually, slashing the mine’s carbon footprint by around 13,800 tonnes of CO₂ per year—the equivalent of taking more than 3,000 cars off the road.
This shift positions Al Baitha as a benchmark for sustainable mining in the Gulf, reflecting how renewables can support heavy industries without compromising operational stability.
Driving Vision 2030 in Action
The agreement directly supports Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030 strategy, which calls for a diversified economy built on innovation, renewable energy, and sustainability. Mining has been identified as a cornerstone of this transformation, and Ma’aden’s embrace of solar power demonstrates how the sector can lead the transition to cleaner industry practices.
Partnership to Deliver Turnkey Solutions
Emerge will handle the project end-to-end, from financing and design to construction, operation, and maintenance. This turnkey approach offers mining operators a proven model for embedding renewable energy at the heart of industrial-scale projects.
Voices from the Leaders
- Ali Al-Qahtani, EVP of Ma’aden’s aluminum business:
“This partnership strengthens our ambition to integrate renewable energy across our operations, ensuring sustainable solutions that benefit both our business and the communities we serve.” - Abdulaziz Alobaidli, chairman of Emerge & COO at Masdar:
“Emerge provides a seamless and cost-effective pathway for industries to decarbonize. Partnering with Ma’aden demonstrates how renewable energy can unlock both efficiency and competitiveness in mining.” - Omar Aldaweesh, CEO KSA of EDF Group:
“This project is a bold step in decarbonizing Saudi Arabia’s mining sector. It shows that industrial ambition and environmental responsibility can truly go hand in hand.”
Regional Impact
As Gulf economies continue to expand mining activities—from aluminum and bauxite to copper, gold, and phosphate—projects like Al Baitha highlight a turning point. They prove that renewables and mining are no longer parallel conversations but deeply interconnected strategies shaping the industry’s future.
With the Al Baitha project, Ma’aden is not just mining bauxite; it is mining a cleaner, more sustainable future for the Kingdom and the wider Middle East.
