King Salman Energy Park (SPARK) Completes 80% of Phase One – The First of Many Firsts in the Drive for Sustainability

DHAHRAN, SAUDI ARABIA, April 22, 2021 /EINPresswire.com/ -- King Salman Energy Park (SPARK), the region’s only fully integrated energy hub, has completed 80% of work on the first phase of infrastructure development. The city is intended to be a growth catalyst that will make participation in Saudi Arabia’s energy sector simple by offering direct geographic access to the world’s energy production center.

SPARK’s value proposition targets investors and partners of all sizes. To date, SPARK has signed agreements with 23 major energy companies to invest in the energy park, with an additional 12 companies in the pipeline for approval. It is expected that foreign direct investment in the Park will exceed USD 2.3 billion in the years ahead once investors complete construction of their facilities.

Dr. Mohammad Yahya Al-Qahtani, Chairman of the Board of Directors at King Salman Energy Park, said, “A total of SAR 6 billion was invested in Phase One of this mega project, which acts as a gateway upon which the world’s energy sector can build an integrated future. Despite some setbacks experienced as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, SPARK has continued to make progress on construction and has realigned with its forecasted targets for July 2021. We are adopting advanced construction solutions that are environmentally friendly and maximize long-term efficiency. In the Kingdom and in the region, SPARK is the first entity to pioneer the use of multiple cutting-edge technologies, ensuring that sustainability remains at the heart of the city’s development.”

Anchor investors TAQA and AMCO are among those to recently join SPARK. In a SAR 300 million investment, TAQA will consolidate its local operations and establish headquarter offices at SPARK, strategically located in close proximity to its primary clients. In addition, AMCO has signed a lease agreement for SAR 260 million with SPARK as a key manufacturer in the oil and gas sector.

SPARK also recently won the Cityscape Intelligence 2021 award in the Tech and Innovation Category. The prestigious platform held every quarter celebrates the MENA region’s best and boldest projects by honouring the real estate developers and architects shaping the region’s skylines. Cityscape’s panel of expert judges examine projects that not only show architectural excellence but also speak to the changing and challenging climate.

In addition to this, SPARK continues to demonstrate its commitment to environmentally responsible building and construction practices and was recognized as the first industrial city in the world to obtain LEED Silver Certification. SPARK has also constructed next generation solar street lighting which utilizes vertical Photovoltaic cells, and as the first licensed private sector power distributor in the Kingdom, SPARK will continue to add sustainable power generation solutions to the project to meet investors’ growing energy needs.

SPARK has also become the first entity in the Kingdom to utilize Podzolic green concrete, which utilizes recycled material as a partial replacement to cement, reducing landfill disposal, improving overall sustainability and reducing SPARK’s carbon footprint. Additionally, SPARK is also the first entity in Saudi Arabia to utilize ConXtech steel connection technology for a commercial building. This cutting-edge solution allows for molecular construction rather than welding and bolting beams together.

As the first in the Middle East and North Africa region to deploy it, SPARK is a pioneer in the usage of Fiber Reinforced Polymer rebar, manufactured by Mateenbar as a non-metallic replacement for epoxy steel reinforcement in bridge decks. The city has also pioneered the first application of liquid nano clay (LNC) which works to enrich desert sand to enhance its fertility. LNC technology will help SPARK reduce irrigated water consumption by 25%.

SPARK has achieved a major milestone in its electrical power facilities through connection to the commercial grid. Shedgum’s Bulk Supply Point, which connects SPARK to the national grid 64 km away, has completed its facility upgrade and energized all the city’s connection points. The power transmission line from Shedgum to SPARK is expected to be energized soon. SPARK’s readily available industrial project sites offer high-quality infrastructure which include internal road networks, an advanced network of electric power, water, natural gas, sanitation systems, drainage and the most modern communications network in the Kingdom, all constructed with long-term sustainability in mind.

All of these firsts add up to SPARK becoming the leading energy-centric ecosystem in the world, offering a foundation upon which the sector can innovate and grow and combining financial stability with operational and infrastructure excellence. SPARK will continue to roll out sustainable solutions throughout Phase 1, which also includes 2 km2 of non-industrial zones designed to accommodate residential and other commercial areas, workers’ accommodations, gas stations and offices.

King Salman Energy Park
MediaRelations@spark-ksa.com
Media Relations