At present, Saudi Arabia is driven by its 2030 Vision that incorporates large steps towards generating electricity from renewable resources, primarily by deploying photovoltaic cells technologies. Although the solar-based technologies are mature and proven, this study aims to bring an untapped renewable energy source to the Saudi market that can hold as much effects as solar based technologies. It will also produce emissions free electric power and eliminate major environmental issues in the coastal cities such as Al- Jubail and Jeddah. In fact, the proposed renewable energy system is not recent and already deployed in Norway, Canada and other countries and is able to provide 1,700 TWh annually, which is, in theory, 70% of the total world consumption in 2008. It matters with exploiting salinity gradient power that is naturally released when the lower salinity water of rivers and lakes flows into the higher salinity water of seas and oceans, owing to the chemical principle of osmosis.

However, Saudi Arabia might not be the country to invest in the “Blue Energy”, given the fact that it is the largest country in the world with no flowing fresh water streams such as rivers. Thus, how could this renewable energy source be feasible in it. The answer is that the blue energy is not only viable when rivers run into seawater; nevertheless, it is released when two solutions with different salinities meet through a semi-permeable membrane. Principally, Saudi Arabia is the largest country in the world with desalination and wastewater treatment plants, thereby their byproduct brackish water (Brine) can be thought as high saline solution and seawater will relatively be a low saline solution.

My presentation will focus on the Blue Energy and how well it can serve the the current desalination plants in Saudi Arabia and beyond. I have also submitted a patent regarding this idea and will touch upon its outcomes.