National Industrial Clusters Development Program (NICDP) is promoting solar energy value chain products to support solar power plants, which are envisioned to be established across the Kingdom-wide as a component of the country's resolve to harness renewable energy to meet increasing electricity demand. Saudi Arabia's industrial clusters program in the solar energy products is introducing the polysilicon and photovoltaic technologies, said Azzam Y Shalabi, President of the NICDP. "The Program is currently developing three projects in the silicon route which would bring in 12 KTA of solar grade polysilicon and semiconductor grade polysilicon," he said during his presentation on the progress of the industrial clusters plan of the Kingdom. He said the polysilicon projects will integrate further downstream projects, such as the production of ingot, water and cells, ensuring the production of modules upon the development of the local market. A number of local firms are now conducting feasibility studies on the production of solar photovoltaic thin films for local and export markets. The solar energy project encourages too the conversion of the Kingdom's high quality silica sand for the production of solar grade glass for export. Saudi Arabia has now resolved to harness solar power and renewable energy to meet its increasing electricity demand, and thereby, in the process, curb its dependence on crude oil.
